


The Stars That Shine

by Twin_Flame



Series: Porcelain Heart [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pokemon - Fandom
Genre: Anxiety, Dissociation, F/F, F/M, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Ookido Yukinari-hakase | Professor Samuel Oak Being an Asshole, Slow Burn, Social Anxiety, glad to see thats a tag, kind of, lance is a dad figure, manga/games mix, not the focus of the story but i feel its important to tag, tags and relationships will be added as i post
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28270656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twin_Flame/pseuds/Twin_Flame
Summary: Green Oak, ex-champion, current Viridian City gym leader, had planned a nice trip across the regions in order to conduct his research. His plans are thrown off track when Red, his life-long rival and best friend, messages him almost a year after coming off Mt.Silver. He also gets invited to do a research paper in Kalos. Well, maybe his plans aren't going according to plan, but he's going to figure it out.He didn't realise 'figuring it out' meant solving relationship problems for your friends, trying to help redeem a criminal, attending a dinner with the leader of Ex-Team Rocket (Gold owes him so many favours for this one), finding himself in many awkward moments with his lifelong crush, and far too many anxiety inducing moments. Maybe he should have stayed back home and overworked himself...---A story about Green and Red going around the regions (mostly Kalos and Unova), a story about Gold and Silver figuring out what they both want in their life (not the main focus of the story, but some chapters will focus on them), and a story about Green sorting through his feelings and accepting he apparently has a new dad that really wants him to finally confess his feelings to Red.[Updated every Wednesday]
Relationships: Gold/Silver (Pokemon Adventures), Ookido Green | Blue Oak/Red
Series: Porcelain Heart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142105
Comments: 20
Kudos: 88





	1. I'm trying

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hey!
> 
> So this story is a lot more than the description says, but that's very limited. This story will (hopefully) talk about how Green has coped for the past few years while Red was gone. It will talk about Red and how coming off Mt.Silver feels like after 9 years (I wanted to age them up to legal adults). There will also be mentions of Gold and living up to Red's shadow he has to follow to live up to people's expectations. A mention of Silver and coping of having a father that's an ex-criminal who still has many questionable opinions. Blue and Yellow will make an appearance to support all the boys. Lance and his struggle of somehow becoming a parent to a bunch of very legal adults who have far too many problems for them to handle by themselves. 
> 
> Also features professor sycamore because I recently got his card and I became obsessed with him once again :)
> 
> Most chapters will be based around Green (its 3rd POV but surrounding him), with occasional chapters from the POV of other characters, such as the first one being Red's POV. 
> 
> Updates will happen once a week or once every two weeks, depending on how motivated I am to write. I have no idea how long the fic will actually be.

_Dear Green Oak,_

_I know we haven’t spoken much since I beat you and became Champion. Perhaps I shouldn’t start a letter off like that but I’ve rewritten this ten times already and this is my last piece of paper so I can’t afford to not keep this. I also probably shouldn’t waste the space with my rambling._

_I apologise for not saying anything before I disappeared. It doesn’t excuse my action or the silence, but I was terrified. The world expected so much from me and as soon as I left the building, I was swarmed by reporters, begging for an ‘exclusive’ interview with the new Champion. If it wasn’t for the professor, I probably wouldn’t have gotten home in one piece._

_That night, I packed my bag, took my pokemon, and left. I had no idea where I was going or for how long, but I first found myself walking the streets of Johto. The news hadn’t spread as much there so only a few people stopped me to ask about how it felt to become a Champion at the age of 13. The next day, it felt as if Mt.Silver called out to me. Every time someone mentioned it to me, they described it as isolated and lonely. Whether that’s how I felt, or whether that’s how I wanted to feel, it didn’t change the fact that I left for it. Did you know there’s a pokemon center at the bottom of it? I would visit it once a month, buying extra potion and first aid kits for pokemon. I would use the facilities to clean myself up and then I would buy more food from a nearby shop._

_Lyra approached me nine years after my disappearance. We fought at the peak and I lost. I felt free, yet I could tell that this victory was the last thing Lyra wanted. She must have felt the same way I did, but I had no words of encouragement. All I did was run away to train on top of a mountain for nine years, only to then lose to a girl that was 2 years younger than me. She told me I had to go down as I was finally defeated. I had no reason to run and I had to face the responsibility I avoided. I spoke with her the other day, along with some other people. I came back the day after she defeated me._

_‘Red, the Missing Champion, returns after 9 years!’_

_‘Red returns home at 22. Watch the exclusive interview now!’_

_I moved out of my mother’s house, did exclusive interviews for two months, then shut my door on any more TV stations. I changed my pokenav number and gave all but one of my pokemon back to the professor. My mother would drop off food for me, as I still lived in Pallet town._

_Blue came to visit and told me that you became a temporary Champion after my disappearance. I’m sorry for that. Apparently you also gave the title up out of nowhere after 6 months. She mentioned that you travelled to see the other regions before coming back just after your 16th birthdays, then became a gym leader at Viridian City Gym not even a full day later. She told me about the various mythical and legendary pokemon that she discovered during her time spent adventuring._

_I recently spoke to some people, and they made me realise that disappearing must have caused more pain than I expected. I only thought of myself and how I felt, but I never thought about how those I left behind could have felt. I didn’t stop to even ask how you felt. We were rivals, and I stole the Champion title away from you just a few minutes after you got it._

_Was that why you always challenged me whenever we crossed paths? Was I the obstacle you had to overcome? What damage did I cause just by wanting to leave for my journey at the same that you did? Did I run away from the responsibility of Champion and the pain caused? Would something have changed if I had stayed, or would I have ended up just like someone I heard about - letting myself waste away on that forsaken mountain._

_I’m so sorry, Green._

_I hope you can forgive me one day._

_Red of Pallet_

_Dear Red,_

_Visit me in Viridian City gym. We have much to discuss. I’m going on a research trip next week so try to come by before then. Bring Pikachu, Eevee misses him._

_Green_

Red starts to feel like perhaps it was a bad idea to come down from Mt.Silver. He received the letter last evening and he hasn’t slept well, managing to overthink everything, from the way Green wrote his name to the pen he used. It must have been a gel pen. His mother also told him to visit professor Oak, as he wanted something delivered to Viridian Gym and ‘Oh, since you’re on the way, you might as well do him a little favour. He’s taking care of your pokemon, isn’t he?’ is what his mother said when he called her. Now, he thinks that maybe not showing up wouldn’t be THAT rude. Red spent the past 9 years on top of a mountain without sending even one letter to his mother. There’s also nothing stopping him from going right back up there and spending more time there. Immediately, he shakes his head. No. No more running. He wants to see Green and finally apologise for running away. 

He calls for Pikachu before he leaves. He has his bag which contains Green’s letter (just in case Green forgot and Red does NOT want to make a fool out of himself), some food for Pikachu, and the essential stuff such a Pokenav, wallet, and Pokedex. Trying to focus on anything that’s not anxiety inducing is difficult. Seeing Professor Oak will most likely require a conversation about why he left his pokemon. There was a note, explaining that he didn’t want to risk battling, and therefore thought it would be best to have them stay with the Professor for the time being. Also, the Professor would help them get used to the warmer climate after spending 9 years on a freezing mountain. From what he heard, they’re already doing much better, so he did think about taking his main team back. Maybe. 

“Red! It’s good to see you okay!” Professor Oak greets him in a cheerful way. There’s a warm smile on his face and he has his reading glasses on. They’re in the entryway to his house. Apparently the thing he wants delivered is here, rather than in the research lab. “You’re off to Viridian City, yes?” Red nods, finding the question redundant. The only reason he’s doing a delivery is because he was making the visit to the city in the first place. “Could you deliver something to the Viridian Gym for me?” Nodding once again, he resists the urge to roll his eyes. The professor either has no idea how to interact with a selective mute, or he has really bad memory. He smiles again and tells him to wait, before disappearing into the house. Red’s curiosity gets the better of him and he glances towards the array of pictures hung on the wall. Last time he was here, he didn’t have a chance to see much of the house. It was the night before their journey, and he came over to help Green pack, as the other was stressing out over not knowing what he actually needed. 

The picture in the middle is a family picture. If he remembers correctly, Green lost his parents at the age of 5, so he must be around 4 in this. Daisy must be 6 then. They’re all happy, even Professor Oak doesn’t look as tired as he usually looks these days. Green definitely takes after his mother, so does Daisy. It’s quite endearing. There’s a picture of the two of them, the day before their journey. Green is proudly showing off his necklace. Red found a really nice rock that day and gave it to his rival, claiming it was for good luck. ‘This proves we will remain together forever! We’re the best of friends!’ It was what Green claimed the rock represented, so he asked his mother for something sturdy and made a necklace out of it. There’s some pictures of Daisy with rewards from the Pokemon Contests. When Red and Green left on their journeys, she told them they should visit her one day and watch one of her contests, which turned out to be her first total victory. They were in Saffron City and something seemed amiss with his rival. He later learned it was because of his Raticate. The more he looks at the pictures, the more something seems amiss. There’s pictures of Professor Oak accepting awards. Pictures of Daisy and of her during her first research debate. Red missed that one. The only time Green appears in pictures is when he’s with someone else. Didn’t Green accomplish a lot of stuff too? 

“Can you deliver this to Green? He’s probably holed up in that gym of his once again. That boy really needs to put more effort into his research. It’s clearly lacking.” The professor cuts off his thoughts, only to fill them with even more questions. He’s has seen Green’s research papers. They were pretty good, and it was probably the longest he sat in one place in order to _read_. Even his mother asked him if he was okay since he was never one for reading. “Do you need anything?” Looking up at the professor, he realises he was staring at the papers in his hands. When did he grab them? Shaking his head no, he carefully puts the papers in his bag. It’s somewhat empty. Ignoring the look the professor gives him, Red gives a half-hearted wave and leaves, motioning for Pikachu to follow him. His mind stays relatively blank all the way up to Viridian City gym. It's a blessing.

The first hour outside it is a haze of panic. Objectively, Red knows he only needs to approach the gym, open the door, ask to see Green, then just… talk to him. Approaching the gym is an easy step, especially since he has done it roughly 5 times in the past hour. Opening the door is more difficult. As soon as he opens the door, it would be too weird to let it close without entering, so then he would need to enter. Once he enters, he HAS to ask to see Green and that’s already making him hesitate. Would he use sign language, prepare a note, or speak? Would he be able to find his voice and would it even let him get the whole sentence out? If he wants to use sign language then he would need to rely on having the confidence to NOT shake during the whole interaction. This thought process has made him step back the first 3 times. The other 2 times were caused by the idea of seeing Green. Was he mad? 

The light flickers on outside the gym and Red realises the gym will be closing in 30 minutes. Before he knows it, he’s staring at a person and signing that he needs to speak to Green, as he has a delivery from professor Oak. It’s all over before his brain can catch up with it and suddenly the person leads him to a backroom. The room is simple, clearly just a place for resting in between battles. There’s a mini kitchen in the corner, with a small fridge. It takes all of his willpower to not snoop just to see if Green has been eating well. However, he does check the cabinet and notices the various tea flavours, some he has never heard about. Frowning at the lack of sugar, he shuts the cabinet and takes out the papers from his bag, trying to avoid snooping even more. After five minutes, he sits down on the couch, noticing there’s a blanket and a pillow there. A laptop is placed on the coffee table. Even after spending 9 years on an ice cold mountain, he finds it appalling that Green would actually sleep in his gym office. Before his thoughts can go off on a tangent, Green walks into the office. 

The first thing Red takes notice of is that he’s still wearing the necklace. It looks a little scratched, but otherwise it is in good condition. The black dress shirt looks good on him too. Then again, he’s pretty sure he hasn’t seen Green look bad in anything. He’s looking down at a stack of papers, engrossed in what he’s reading to the point where he doesn’t notice Red sat there. “If the first comment says ‘fix the title’ or ‘this doesn’t have any factual basis to it, do some more research in the field and analyse the results in a clear and concise way’, then feel free to just chuck it in the bin or use it to light a fireplace.” _Oh no his voice got deeper_ . Is the first thought. It’s the only thought for a moment and it’s then that Red realises he forgot to breathe since the moment his rival stepped into the room. Is the room getting hot? _Why didn’t Blue tell me how much his voice changed why didn’t she mention the necklace and the hair and oh Arceus the room is hot and he misses the iciness of Mt.Silver and didn’t Green like the room warmer than usual and he needs to breathe- he needs to- wait- no- Green is heading towards the door-_

The first comment is word for word what Green said. As any sane person would do during a moment of stress, he doesn’t throw the papers in the bin. Instead, he practically slams them onto the coffee table, which in turn makes them scatter. He gasps for air the moment Green looks over in confusion, then recognition, then fear. More papers scatter and then Red feels someone grab his wrist and then he feels a heartbeat. “Breathe with me.” He hears the words but the meaning is lost. _This was a bad idea- I can’t breathe- Arceus please end me- I can’t breathe- the room is hot and it’s all he can focus on and is Green even in the room anymore or did he run away just like Red? It would be a well deserved punishment for him- he breathes in- something, no, someone is squeezing his wrist and it doesn’t hurt but it feels foreign and familiar at the same time and- he breathes out- and- and- fridge, pillow, mug, plant, table- what?_

“Breathe with me.” Red wonders if he’s underwater. Everything feels wrong and right all at the same time. _I need to breathe- why did I come down- why did I run?- He feels the couch he’s sat on and it’s well used. There’s something warm on his right side. He feels his jacket resting on his legs- when did he take it off?- something soft is touching his arm._ “What can you hear?” The voice snaps Red out of - out of something. He looks to his right and is met with green eyes. 

“You. Eevee. The wind outside.” Red feels an encouraging squeeze of his hand and he finally notices that he’s breathing properly once again. They sit in silence for a moment and Red looks over to his left, noticing that Green’s Eevee is snuggling up to him, purring in comfort. Before he can voice his question, Green answers. 

“She’s a support Pokemon now. She always helped me with anxiety so I had her go through the proper training and then certification.” Suddenly the pressure on his wrist is gone. Once again, Green speaks before he can even fully form a thought. “Don’t even apologise. We haven’t seen each other in 10 years, so I guess I expected some sort of reaction from you. It’s a little worrying your first reaction was a panic attack but I did almost have one when I first got your letter.” Green laughs and Red briefly wonders why he was so worried about meeting Green again. Then he remembers. 

“I’m sorry.” His voice is hoarse. It’s not too surprising considering he barely speaks anymore, especially since nowhere feels _safe_ except when he’s with his mother or Green. Before Green can say he has nothing to apologise for, he shakes his head. “I’m sorry.” This time the words don’t sound like they’re a question. They’re more certain and less shaky. Those words carry a lot of meaning. I’m sorry for leaving. I’m sorry for never getting in touch. I’m sorry for being gone for 9 years. I’m sorry you’re the only one I didn’t talk to after coming back down. I’m sorry it took me so long to even write a letter. 

“Okay. I know you don’t want me to say ‘it’s fine’ so, okay. That’s okay. You have nothing to apologise for, Red.” The certainty in his voice almost makes him cry. His breath hitches and for a moment, he’s afraid breathing will become difficult again but the pressure on his wrist is back and suddenly things feel okay once again. They sit in silence for a moment. Questions that need to be asked are kept quiet, and words that desperately need to be exchanged get stuck in their throats. The fingers gently encircling his wrist occasionally apply a little bit more pressure and Red wonders what Green could be thinking about, especially since he looks deep in thought. The time slowly ticks by and for a moment, everything has been worth it. 

The mountain was a lonely place. It was a comforting feeling - being away from prying eyes and people who wanted - no, that’s not right - needed to ask him countless questions about becoming a champion. The harsh winds kept him awake most nights, leaving him restless and tired, leading to training that left him exhausted. On more than one occasion Pikachu simply refused to train until Red slept for longer than 3 hours and more often than not, his pokemon would forcefully leave their pokeballs in order to take care of him. The blizzards left him cold and shaking and terrified of the countless ‘what if’s after the one time the cave entrance was covered in snow and it almost left him for dead. Green was… Green _is_ a soft warmth. The room they’re sat in is warm and comfortable, to the point where Red knows he could fall asleep if he simply shut his eyes for more than a minute. Eevee is gently nuzzling his arm and his rival takes his hand and gently squeezes, providing comfort he didn’t know was needed. There’s a small clock that looks like a pokemon and a poster of the last PWT. There’s a mug that says ‘Teavee’ and another one that says ‘Teakachu’ that almost makes him laugh. It all feels so _Green_ and for the first time in seven years, he feels _safe_. 

“Red? Hey, Red.” 

“Mh, wa’sup..” When did he close his eyes? 

“Come on. We’ll go back to my apartment. The couch here isn’t comfortable enough for sleep.” There’s some movement and Red almost clings onto the pillow when he realises it isn’t actually a pillow. It takes a moment more for his awareness to come back to him and he feels something warm and comfortable. He’s leaning on Green, closer than he has ever been, and his legs are resting on Green’s lap. On top of his legs is a blanket, and he notices a laptop resting by his feet. 

“How long?” Another moment of the comfortable quietness passes before Green stretches out, effectively gently pushing Red’s legs off of him. 

“Just under 30 minutes. I was going to wake you up earlier but I needed to answer some emails. We should really head out. I didn’t stock up on food here and I doubt you had the time to grab any food since you left Pallet.” That’s partly true. There was plenty of time to grab food but he spent that time standing outside the gym, trying to gather up the courage to finally enter. Red watches as Green stands and stretches, then starts packing stuff up. The little Pikachu keychain Red gave him is attached to his bag and before he knows it, Green is staring at him. "Come on. Get your jacket on and wait for me outside. I just need to double check everything in the gym is sorted." The bag isn't too heavy when Red grabs it and then the words click. Panic fills his whole body but he doesn't want to be clingy, yet he can't force himself to move. Then Green is no longer in the room but Eevee is nudging his leg and so he takes a step forward, then another, until he has successfully made it out of the gym. As soon as the door shuts behind him, he goes to reopen it to find Green. They need to talk. What if he loses him? Eevee pounces up and right into his arms. 

She licks his cheek and nuzzles at his face, distracting him from the thoughts swirling in his head. It's fine. He's fine. Okay, he's not _fine_ but Green wouldn't leave Eevee and she doesn't show signs of leaving so that means Green himself isn't leaving. That means he isn't angry with Red for leaving. They can talk about things and he won’t need to leave someone who makes him feel so safe outside of Mt.Silver. 

The five minute wait feels almost like an hour. 

“Come on, The flat isn’t too far, just across the street from the Pokemon Center.” Without waiting for a reply, Green starts walking. Pikachu rushes ahead and it takes Eevee nudging her nose into his cheek for Red to start moving. The walk over to the apartment is spent rather quietly. Green is saying something to Pikachu but he’s not focusing on the words, but rather on the way they’re spoken. There’s an edge to his voice that shows he’s tired, probably from being in the gym all day - if he remembers correctly, the gym is open for 10 hours and the trainers swap out after 5 hours, but Green remains for the entire day, accepting challengers whenever he can. From time to time, he sees him glance back, smiling gently, before returning to his one sided conversation with Pikachu. 

For a moment, he feels strange. The warmth in his chest is nothing new, not really, no. Chasing after his rival when the two were 12 gave him that feeling - the feeling of being free. Nothing was impossible as long as they kept going. Even the encounter with Team Rocket in Celadon City didn’t make him pause. Yes, he felt uneasy and how he wished Green was there to help him, so that the two of them could laugh about it later on, drinking fizzy drinks and ignoring whatever film was on the TV. After Saffron City, it all changed. Thinking about it and everything that happened afterwards is never nice, it leaves him feeling the same way Mt.Silver did. 

“Hurry up slowpoke!” The door to the apartment is open, and Red hurries to catch up with his rival- no, his friend- that also doesn’t quite do it justice- best friend? They’re near each other again. This time, no one is chasing. Red decides the warmth feels like home.


	2. Wherever you go please take me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Green prepares for his journey, somehow manages to ask Red to travel with him, then receives some amazing news, which change all of his plans at the very last minute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not beta read, but i read it like 10 times, so I'm assuming mistakes are minimal.  
> In this chapter, I introduce Lance and his surface relationship with Green. He's basically like a parent to Green (who refuses to accept that).
> 
> Also Green gets a neat letter because I just want to get the boys into Kalos.

-Green-

Y’know how u said id probs freak out upon seein Red again???

-Lance-

Vaguely. 

-Green-

Well I didnt so ha!

-Lance-

You guys finally met up?

-Green-

Yep! His letter made me kinda freak out but eevee was there. I thought seeing him again would make me cry but uhhh was too busy helpin him out. Either way, i didnt freak out

-Lance- 

That’s good. I’m proud of you, kid

-Green- 

Im 22 and one of the best gym leaders, who had a chance to be champion but refused to keep the title. Dont call me kid

-Lance-

As I said, I’m proud of you, KID <read>

Don’t ignore me you brat <read>

Whatever. Let me know if you want to shut the gym for a few days. 

-Green-

Nah its cool. I’m only in for 2 more days before the temp replacement comes over

Anyway, thanks, Lance. I mean it.

-Lance- 

Don’t worry about it kid <read>

I’ll be visiting tomorrow. Bring Red to the gym if you can, I’d like to have him sign some papers, since I assume he doesn’t want to officially still be the champion. I’ll explain tomorrow.

Looking up from his phone, Green almost startles when he sees Red standing right in front of him. The joggers and shirt he lent him are a little big but he looks comfortable. “You hungry?” Without waiting for an answer, he stands up and heads straight to the kitchen, knowing the two should eat whether they’re hungry or not. Knowing Red, he hasn’t eaten since he left Pallet town, and he hasn’t eaten since breakfast. 

“Nothin’ heavy.” There’s a tug on his jacket and he stops, glancing back. There’s a moment of hesitation and Red’s eyes seem to look at everything but him. It seems he’s trying to think of a way to speak his mind, but is lacking the courage, so Green just sighs. 

“Look, unless you tell me what’s up, I won’t know what you want. I’ll start cooking, and you can use that time to sort your thoughts, yeah?” He doesn’t move until Red nods though. “It’ll be a simple meal since I’m trying to get through the rest of the shit in the fridge.” Neither of them care, but he’s suddenly aware of the silence. The kitchen is filled with various sounds - the cutting of vegetables, running water, Green’s random thoughts he decided to voice, and Red’s loud silence. It seems to swallow up the room and it’s the only thing that he can think about. Not because it’s new, unusual, or even uncomfortable. No, it’s because he has no idea what his next words will be and how he may react to them. He spent the whole night imagining various scenarios. 

They argue and part ways.

Red tells him that him running away was his fault.

Green says something that makes Red run _again_.

There were some scenarios he had wished would happen, but decided not to get his hopes up. It would be futile to think that they wouldn’t argue about _something_ so he at least tried to think of different ways it could go. 

“I’m sorry for running away.” Green almost drops the plates he just took out. Of all the possible ways this could start, he definitely wasn’t expecting this. Red was sorry for running away? But why? 

“What? You don’t have to apologise for that. It was my fault it got to that point.” He places the plates down, trying to stay calm and collected. If he started freaking out, surely it would stress Red out, then cause him to run away. Again. It would be his fault. Again. 

“It wasn’t your fault. I chose to run. I chose to avoid responsibility.” This is not something that he wanted to argue about just before dinner, as he is already starting to feel sick. He doesn’t respond for a moment and he is fully aware that it makes Red uncomfortable, since they both know he only does it to stall. They both know he will try to argue or just refuse to discuss the topic. “It wasn’t.” Was that desperation? 

“I was told it was my fault plenty of times, Red. At this point, I’m pretty sure it was.” Checking the time, he notices it’s already 9pm. The food will only take maybe 10 more minutes, so he pours water into the kettle, turns it on, and prepares tea for them both. He doesn’t even bother checking what flavour he grabs, too focused on… well, _everything_. 

_Red is missing because you didn’t try to stop him._

_If you spent more time looking than sulking you would have found him by now._

_You left the region while Red was still missing. Running away from responsibility again?_

_You didn’t deserve to be a champion, especially since you clearly can’t even handle being a gym leader._

_Your fault._

_He’s gone because of you._

_He’s dead because of you._

_They’re dead-_

“The water is hot.” Red murmurs and Green snaps his attention to him. He points to the kettle and Green silently pours the water into their mugs, before moving over and taking the rice off the heat. “It’s not your fault.” The words are spoken softly, carefully, as if he’s scared he’s going to scare away a wild pokemon. 

“One day I’ll believe it.” It’s the best he can do. For the past 9 years, all he’s heard is that it was his fault, but if Red doesn’t blame him, he shouldn’t feel the guilt. It’s an exhausting thing to carry for years - Lance has seen the effects of that firsthand. That leaves only one thing left for him, but he waits until they have eaten, and gotten ready for bed to ask. “Lance wanted to meet up with us tomorrow.” Not exactly what he wanted to say, but it’s a start. 

**Why?** Red signs the words and lies down on the couch, leaning on Green. They decided to watch something before they head off to sleep. As his guest, Red would be taking the bed. 

“Something about champion stuff. Apparently if you don’t wanna be champion anymore, you need to fill in some documents. I did it since I had to take over for you and then I handed it back to Lance. However, with you back, you’ve become the official champion again.” Letting Red choose the film might have been a bad choice, he thinks, as he watches the group of friends on the screen baking, then getting upset about the lack of love from their family. Something about Disney villains. 

**Where?**

“The gym. I need to go in and sort out everything for my leave, then sort out all the paperwork I’m behind on. On the last day, I’ll be showing the temporary replacement what they need to do while I’m gone.” There probably won’t be much time for him to hang out with Red, so he hopes the other will do well when talking to Lance. He also hopes Lance doesn’t say anything unnecessary. “You can hang out in the office, or hang out with me as I go over everything.” 

**Sure. You okay?** Did he catch onto the fact that he wanted to ask something?

“Yeah just… stressed about my upcoming trip.” That’s a good start, right? Red raises a brow at him and Green tries to get his thoughts together. “I’m going travelling across the regions. Last time, I only managed to go through Johto and Hoenn. I had tickets to go to Sinnoh but gramps said he needed samples from Hoenn within a specified time limit so I decided to come back. Some stuff happened and I decided to just stay and take over a gym. I still want to go to Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar though.” Now is the time to ask. Red hasn’t seen many places other than the cursed mountain, right? “Did you know, Sinnoh and Kalos were the first places they discovered new evolutions of Eevee? Glaceon and Leafeon in Sinnoh and Sylveon in Kalos!”

**What are you avoiding?**

“Wanna go with me?” He blurts out at the question before he can stop himself. 

**Sure.** He feels overwhelming relief. **What’s the plan?**

“We’ll leave on Monday. I’m going to Johto for a week, then Hoenn for another week, and so on. In Johto, there’s this one guy, Gold, who encountered the Red Gyarados and Lugia! I met him a while back but he decided to go travelling with his friend. The two returned like a week ago and invited me over. They’re in Goldenrod City but we decided to meet up in Ecruteak City, where the Bell tower is. That’s also where the three legendary beasts are said to be resting.” When he looks over, Red is already asleep, leaning on him. Glad he thought ahead and grabbed some blankets, he lays them over Red and himself, before getting more comfortable. He’ll probably end up with a neck ache tomorrow, but it’ll be worth it. 

The next day, Green wishes he had brought some coffee with him. Usually he only drank tea when in the gym but he was starting to become exhausted, especially with the added stress called Lance. He wouldn’t stop bugging him. He already had his gramps on his case in the morning so he didn’t need Lance interrogating him.

-Lance-

I’m enroute now. I got the extra tickets like you asked. 

-Green-

Cheers. 

-Lance-

So how’s Red? Hopefully not too stressed about having to do this official stuff.

-Green-

He’s fine.

-Lance-

What’s up?

You’re not as talkative as usual. Usually by now you’d have complained about how boring your paperwork is.

-Green-

Gramps called this morning.

-Lance-

Ah. What did he want this time?

-Green- 

Oh, the usual. 

There are no trainers attempting the gym so far, and even his gym trainers are getting restless. Maybe he should have taken up the offer to shut the gym. Red is sitting next to him, playing some game on his Pokenav. Pikachu and Eevee are most likely wrecking havoc somewhere, and at this point, if he has to clean up their mess, he’ll at least have something better to do than stare at his paperwork. 

-Lance- 

My offer still stands.

-Green-

I know. 

Thanks. 

Really.

I know I don’t say it enough. I’ll be fine though. He’s going to complain all the time and I’m kinda used to it by now.

-Lance-

It’s okay, kid. <read>

Brat. Anyway, Oak has no brains if he doesn’t see how good your research is. That reminds me, you got a letter. Not sure why they sent it to the league rather than your gym but I’ll be bringing it over. I looked over it since I thought they had a reason to send it to us, but nah. You’ll probably be happy about the contents though. I didn't read all of it, but enough to know who it's from.

-Green-

Oh?

I’ll look over it when you’re talking with Red. As for gramps, he’s an expert in his field, if he says my work is lacking then surely he’s ahwufosvpojnskehfal

-Lance-

Green? Did you drop your pokenav?

-Green-

Red here. I took his nav. His research is rly good and its the best ive read. Hes yelling that i shouldntve read it and hes embarrassed. Cya in a bit gonna have piakchu run away with bhis nav since hes trying o get it back bye

Pikachu dashes off, and Green hopes the electric mouse doesn’t ruin his pokenav. Eevee is chasing after him now, so he has some hope of it being fine. She was always pretty gentle with technology. Sighing, he gives up on trying to get it himself and looks up at Red. In order to stop him, Red had basically tackled him down onto the couch, then sat down on top of him. “Okay, okay I won’t chase after him. You can get off now. Lance should be here in like 5 minutes." That's apparently enough for Red to call Pikachu back. The Pokenav is still in good condition. Lance had messaged him to let him know he was outside. As soon as he reads it, there's a knock on the office door.

"Hey!" Lance calls out as he opens the door, not waiting for Green to let him in first. Or to even say it was alright to walk in. Red momentarily tenses but then relaxes upon seeing who it is. "Hope I'm not interrupting… anything." The raised eyebrow and the pause are enough to make Green flush bright red before sitting up. Red yelps as he falls. 

"You're not!" Lance smirks at his quick denial and he wishes that he was more busy so he could come up with some excuse. "We were just… well, I was trying to get my Pokenav back and Red tossed it to Pikachu." Red stands up from where he fell and looks at Lance, giving him a small nod. "Are you two good to talk now? I'm gonna just… well, I'll just- huh. I have nothing to do." The two look over at him, Lance exasperated and Red amused. The only way he can respond is to grin at them. 

"You can read your letters while we talk and do paperwork." There are two letters in his hand and Green quickly grabs them. "Another one arrived just as I was entering the gym so I grabbed it on the way in." Red curiously looks over at the letters but Green waves him over to Lance. 

_Green Oak,_

_I read your most recent research paper on evolution. It was a very interesting piece, and I wanted to go over a few things with you. Additionally, I started another paper on evolution. You may have read some of my papers on Mega Evolution, with some of the better known works being 'Mega Evolution: Origin and History Throughout Time' as well as 'Mega Evolution and why it happens.' My most recent study is looking into the ethical side of mega evolution, and having a sharp mind such as yours would surely provide much help! The paper would, of course, be under both our names. However, I do request that it is a free to access paper. I do know that most of your individual work is already free to access, but I thought it would be best to state my wishes ahead of time._

_I do not need a response straight away, so do not worry about that. If you decide to come by Kalos, I would be able to provide you accommodation for the duration of the study, and give you a tour of the region. If you wish to take anyone with you, they will be able to join us._

_I understand you have important duties as a gym leader, so do not worry about hurrying to reply. I'm currently going through the job of overseeing the progress of new upcoming trainers as they attempt the Kalos Gym Leader Trials, which will hopefully end with their attempts at their Elite Four. Ah, I'm getting carried away._

_My address is the same as the return on the envelope. I'm not sure what communications device you're using, so I thought it would be safer to stick to letters for the time being._

_From,_

_Professor Augustine Sycamore._

The letter fills Green with many varied emotions, and he doesn't even bother trying to name each one. He has certainly read some of the Professor's papers, and the fact that he was asked to do a research paper together was an honour to him. It worked with his plans as well, as he had wanted to visit Kalos as well. Making a mental note to reply later, he turns to the second letter. 

_Green,_

_Dude I messed up so bad_

_I had no connection in Sinnoh for the past 3 days so I’m sending this and Silver hasn’t talked to me in the past week so we ended up cancelling our dinner plans which means all my planning went down the drain and I’m scared I did something to upset him???_

_Okay. Let’s go back. So we went to Sinnoh to have this official dinner with some people and Silver’s father - Giovanni - but soon after the dinner Silver was kinda quiet and then I had to go to pick up the ring from Cynthia (she knows about the whole proposal thing as well so she picked it up for me before the dinner then asked if I’d be okay to meet up for a moment.) He hasn’t spoken to me since then and I’m starting to freak out. We’ll be on our way home soon and I’ll be swarmed with work I need to do for professor elm and I would love to just ditch it to talk to Silver but I cant avoid responsibility and its not like Silver would talk to me anyway_

_Anyway I need help._

_We’ll still meet up at the agreed time and place, Silver has at least confirmed that much with me._

_Gold_

The handwriting is way worse than Gold’s usual Torchic scratch so it takes him two attempts to read it fully. Gold had visited him in the middle of the night, a month prior to the trip to Sinnoh, freaking out because he realised he wanted to marry Silver. Green had provided as much help as he could, considering he hadn't moved past the stage of hopelessly pining yet, but Gold was happy with whatever help was provided. It was a tough and emotional conversation, so they both ended up going out for drinks that night. The next day, Yellow visited them and made them breakfast. It was a tough day at the gym, that’s for sure. 

“You okay?” Lance’s voice makes Green turn to look at him. “You were just staring off into space. Red and I are almost done with the paperwork, by the way.” The two gaze at him with concern, and Red moves a bit closer, his hand raised towards him slightly, as if wanting to reach out. 

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry. A friend of mine has a mild emergency but I’ll be seeing him on Tuesday anyway.” Deciding that he wouldn’t stress Gold out with questions, he puts the letter away and grabs a piece of paper and a pen, deciding to reply to Professor Sycamore first. 

_Professor Sycamore,_

_Thank you for the letter. I will be more than happy to join you in your research. I will be bringing a friend along with me. We will be visiting in just under two weeks time. If you’re not ready by then, the two of us will simply independently travel across Kalos and see the sights ourselves. I’ve heard only good things about Kalos, so I look forward to seeing it myself, rather than on TV and in newspapers._

_I will only be able to bring minimum equipment with me, so I do ask for access to a study area if that’s at all possible._

_I also wish to show my friend the best places there, so please let me know of any good tourist spots when we arrive. I will be travelling to another region on Monday, so I will not be able to answer any letter._

_Thank you for the opportunity,_

_Green Oak of Viridian City Gym._

“Red.” He calls out as soon as he sees Lance wrapping up the paperwork, making Red look up with a small relieved smile. “Small change of plans. After Johto, we’re going to Kalos.” The smile turns to a grin and a nod. Lance raises a brow. “Professor Sycamore asked me to do a research paper together. We might be gone for longer than I anticipated.” 

“Congrats!” The dragon tamer ruffles his hair and Green leans back with a laugh. “Now you can show that old man that you’re already better at research than he is. Maybe seeing your combined work with the esteemed Professor Sycamore will finally make him get off your case.” The words don’t register to him fully until later at night when he’s lying on the couch, an interview with Professor Sycamore playing in the background about the recent events - something about a weapon of mass destruction. He falls asleep, happy to know Lance is there to support him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much weekly updates so far - every Wednesday. I have the next chapter written and I started working on Chapter 4.  
> Chapter 3 will introduce Gold and Silver - as well as some mild insight into them as people (Silver being anxious? Yes. Gold being anxious? Yes. Do I write a lot about anxiety? Yes.)


	3. You never know what is lurking inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Johto duo appears, solves their major problem (all behind closed doors... but a side-fic could be written in the future), Red finds out Silver is related to Giovanni, and Green wonders how he will survive while surrounded by those three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Johto Duo is here. I love them :)  
> I liked writing Gold while also having no idea how to write him.  
> Also this chapters hints at how the manga is incorporated into this work (Also Silver and Blue will definitely have a sibling dynamic)  
> Tags are going to be updated since new characters will appear in two chapters ^^

Trains are probably his least favourite mode of transportation. They had tickets that allowed them to sit at a table, so that Green could do some work, wanting to get some last minute things finished before he threw himself into a world of research on Mega Evolution. However, their table was taken and when Green had asked them to move, the kids just told them to get over it and that they needed the table more. He would have argued, but Red pulled at his jacket and sat down in a seat nearby, forcing him to follow. Then there is the arrival at the station. Every person suddenly stands up and starts grabbing luggage, it almost reminds him of planes, but more cramped and people always shove you aside. The fact that they have to take another train next week just fills him with dread.

The two of them stay seated for a moment, finishing the video Red showed him just a few minutes ago. As soon as it empties out, Green nudges Red, and the two slowly make their way out. Gold said he would pick them up and show them the way to Ecruteak City. Silver went ahead to make sure their room would be fine, as they booked a room with 4 beds. The 4 beds made Green concerned, but Gold simply told him it was his decision, as it would be much easier to find one. 

“Oi! Over here!!” There’s a loud yell and Green instantly recognises it to be Gold. Grabbing Red’s jacket sleeve, he pulls the other in the correct direction, slowly making his way through the crowd. Gold must have noticed them, as he quickly rushes over and grabs two of their bags. “Sweet Arceus, are you guys staying for a month or somethin’? There’s enough baggage here to last yous a month!” 

“I missed you too.” He chuckles as Gold makes a dramatic show of carrying the bags, looking as careless as ever, but Green knows that he wouldn’t dare drop the bags. “We’re going straight to Kalos next week so we decided to pack some extra things.”

 **Green will probably return with more clothing anyway.** When Gold laughs, Red looks over surprised. While the other is still watching, he quickly continues to sign, entirely stopping in his tracks. **You understand sign language?**

“Yeah!” Grinning, Gold stops in his tracks, nearly walking into someone. That would have been avoided if he wasn’t walking backward, Green thinks, but decides not to comment. “Greenie here taught me it a while back!” There’s a sudden feeling of dread so he quickly grabs Gold’s arm and starts pulling him along. “Hey! I was just about to tell him why!”

“That’s exactly why I’m dragging you away! Come on Red, you two can talk all you want back at the hotel while I'm unpacking all our stuff.” Glancing back, he almost melts when he sees the grin Red gives him. He shakes the feeling off straight away. Gold needs his help to sort out a relationship, not watch Green pine over his lifelong rival. There's a taxi waiting outside under Gold's name and Green sighs in relief. Any more public transport would have most likely caused him to crumble on the spot. Knowing Red, he wouldn't do much better. The only reason they managed the train journey was because Green had headphones and Red had an abundance of videos about cute Pokemon, the two combined making it much easier to not focus on all the people around them. 

**So why did you learn sign language?** Red gets straight to the point as soon as they're sat down. The drive will apparently take them around an hour, especially since it's approaching noon so the roads are only going to get more busy with time. 

"Green mentioned that his rival was selectively mute and considering how much he talked about that rival, I thought 'hey! I should learn it in case I ever meet the guy' and it paid off!" The one thing that is stopping Green from just strangling Gold during that moment is the look Red gives him. A mix of surprise but also overwhelming happiness. The two continue to talk, mostly about him, but he also catches some questions about Johto, Gold himself, and the so-called 'Silver.' At the mention of him, Gold's shoulders stiffen a little, then relax once more. 

"He's my… boyfriend." It sounds like he's unsure whether that's the correct phrase to use. "You'll meet him at the hotel. He used to be my rival after… uh… something happened. We kinda fought at any given moment and when I finally beat the league, I thought 'why' and just… talked to him. We had gone through some crazy stuff together so our rivalry had become more friendly by then. We decided to just become friends and one day our friend, Crystal, said we should just get over it and start dating." Green remembers the panicked call from Gold, then from Silver. Neither had realised the feelings they held for each other and it took roughly 3 days for them to finally stop avoiding each other. They've been going strong for 6 years now?

 **Rivals to friends to lovers, huh?** Red glances over at Green, who just gives him a smile. Maybe if he wasn't so tired he'd notice the small blush. Gold, on the other hand, notices. 

"Yeah! You know, the only popular young adult book trope we're missing is childhood friends! I mean, how epic would it be if me and Silver always competed because we cared about the other and knew how to bring out the best in each other. We would have definitely realised our feelings sooner!" It's probably too late to open the taxi door and throw Gold out. The glare Green gives him is ignored with a simple wave of a hand, then a signature smirk. "Of course, we also could have ended up hopelessly pining after each other for years, but who knows!" Gramps or Gold. He chose what he thought was the lesser evil. The cheeky brat is proving that it was the wrong decision. 

The rest of the way is filled with mindless chatter, with Green occasionally correcting Gold when he goes a little overboard. For example, he definitely did not freak out when Gold casually sent out Lugia right outside his gym. Ecruteak City is as quiet as he remembers it to be. There are a few people walking around, but no tourists are in sight. With cherry blossom season just around the corner, most people are waiting before they visit, or they’re visiting neighbouring cities. It was the best time of the year for some research, but he highly doubted he would be able to get much of that done. Their hotel is just near the Burned Tower. Not exactly the most appealing thing but Red looks happy about the prospect of it, so he lets it slide. 

“Good to see you again, Green.” Silver gives him a nod, then turns to introduce himself to Red, completely ignoring Gold, who barely glances at him. This is going to be rough.

“Finally proving that you care about me, huh?” He smirks and places his bags on his bed, taking a quick look around the room. It’s pretty cosy and the beds don’t look too uncomfortable. “Oh, Silver, care to go to the shop with me?” Red glances over at him, but the two already discussed this on the train. The red-head agrees, so the two leave. Maybe he will regret leaving Gold alone with Red, but it's a risk he has to take. As long as Gold doesn't spill information about the countless years he spent pining, it should all be fine.

Once they’re done with buying a few ingredients, Green leads Silver to a bench, far away from nosy people. “So, what’s the deal with you and Gold?” Hesitating would only make Silver grow wary and untrustful. At least that’s what he has learned from experience. The two would often talk once he and Gold got together, and Silver was skilled at avoiding topics he didn’t want to talk about. The only time he would actually open up, is when confronted. Unsurprisingly, he stiffens at the question almost right away. 

“Nothing is going on.” The fact that he doesn’t try to stand and run shows Green that he’s also concerned about their situation. “I don’t know what Gold told you, but we’re fine.” 

“The fact that you two haven’t greeted each other when we came in totally shows you two are fine.” Silver glares at him, sits in silence for a moment, then sighs. “Look, I’m not tellin’ you to spill your heart out to me and say all your private business, but I’ve known you two for years. Yeah, Gold messaged me, freaking out because he has no idea what he did wrong and has no idea how to fix it. Whatever the hell is going on, sort it out and talk to him.”

“He didn’t do anything wrong. Not really.” They sit in silence as some tourists walk past. Green wonders if they’re there to check out the Bell Tower, or if they simply mistimed their visit. “We… went to Sinnoh. We had this dinner with some people, my father included. It wasn’t anything I was eager to attend, but they wanted Gold to show up and he said it would be fine if I didn’t go.” His speech seems to speed up slightly, and Green offers a pokeball to him. A moment later Silver lets Eevee out, who immediately jumps onto his lap and cuddles up. The red-head absentmindedly scratches her head and just behind her ears.

“Did you go?” 

“Yeah. I did. I felt like if I didn’t show up, I’d be proving that seeing him had some effect on me. The whole dinner was fine, honestly. I barely even looked in his direction and Gold usually answered any of his questions that were directed at me.” Having Giovanni as a parent doesn’t sound easy, and Green definitely doesn’t envy him. His parents may be dead, but at least he remembers them wanting to stay, and definitely not deciding to become leaders of a well-known criminal circle. Speaking of, he should probably mention that Red doesn't know about that. The Ex-villain had quite the effect on Red, so it probably wouldn't be a good idea to keep such information hidden. "When we got home, I was totally stressed out. I needed Gold but he just left. Said he had something important to do." There is definitely stuff that Silver is refusing to speak about. Knowing the two, the matter must be as simple as miscommunication. Silver was never good with saying what he needed, while Gold must have been too eager to get the ring to really focus on how Silver was feeling.

"Did you tell him you needed him?" When Silver shakes his head, Green just sighs. "Look, you two need to talk. You know how Gold gets and he needed to meet up with Cynthia - yeah, he told me who he was meeting - so he probably didn't notice how you felt." Eevee sits up on Silver's lap and turns to look at him. The two stare at each other for a moment before she yawns and nudges his hand. Perhaps he should get Silver a support Pokemon. It's not like he truly needed one, but he did struggle with opening up, as it made him anxious. Making a mental note to look into it, he stretches on the bench. "Just talk to him."

"I… I will. Sorry. You and Red are here to enjoy a little holiday but Gold and I just threw our problems at you." After recalling Eevee, Silver hands him her pokeball back, then stands up from the bench. "I'm sure you want us gone while you cook so we'll go talk then." Green nods and stands up. The two were far too chaotic in the kitchen to let them stay. At least they knew that Green liked making his own food and would rather have a small kitchen in the room. "You're only patient with Red being in the kitchen with you, aren't you?" The knowing smirk is enough for him to consider just shoving Silver in the pond they'll pass by. 

Back at the hotel, Silver almost drags Gold out, demanding that they talk. Green just barely manages to pass them Eevee's pokeball, but once they're gone, he turns to Red, who's sat on one of the beds. "Those two make me age at twice the speed." He mutters and Red smiles up at him, before patting the space next to him. It's only then that he notices that two of the beds have been shoved next to each other. "Doing some redecorating?" The words come out before he can stop them, but he decides he probably would have asked something along the lines anyway. Making himself comfortable next to Red, he leans back against the pillows, focusing on Red, but also trying to figure out which place they should visit first. 

**Johto is cold. I thought it would be easier to just cuddle up than ask for more blankets.** There are always spare blankets in the closet, and since Red put away some of their clothing, he must know that. However, Green has stopped trying to figure out Red's thinking back when the two were younger. He was constantly dragged around by the other, always doing weird things, such as seeing as who could predict which branch a bird nest sat on, or who could eat the most jelly beans (both agreed to never talk about that again).

"What place do you wanna visit first?" They had the choice of Ruins of Alph, Burned Tower, Bell Tower (which he had to ask Gold about), Azalea Town, and Violet City. Gold also wanted to make a stop at Goldenrod City at some point, something about his favourite TV station. Green gave Red the overview of each location the day before, and told him he could decide on the order they go in. Of course, they may not have enough time, but they would still be able to see the sights. 

**Burned Tower, Bell Tower, then Azalea Town. We can do the Ruins of Alph on the way to Violet City then. Goldenrod can be last.** Thinking it over, it kinda makes sense. From there, they can return to Kanto, and get a ship over to Sinnoh, then over to Galar, then to Kalos. Once done in Kalos, Green decided they could backtrack to tour Galar, then Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and then fly over to Alola. He takes his Pokenav out to check the weather predictions for the next few days, and finds a message from Gold. They keep arriving as he reads. 

-Gold-

Thanks

Silver and I talked things over

We'll explain after dinner

Also Silver mentioned that Red doesn't know who his father is

So we'll mention that

Also we know you're going to Kalos afterwards

Can we go

"Your nav?" Red asks and Green looks up. Apparently it's been making a lot of noise. 

"Yeah. Gold is pestering me. They want to join us in Kalos. I think they just want to go on dates and then bother us. Do you mind?" When Red shakes his head, Green turns back to his Pokenav. 

-Gold-

Please we'll behave

Okay Silver will behave and stop me from pestering you guys

I'll even organise a double date

And pay

Green pls

Pls

Pls

Pls

Pls

Pls

-Green-

Yes just shut up

-Gold-

Thank you!!! I'm gonna do the thing there

You know the cheesy thing

Silver is reading my screen and i want the cheesy thing to be a surprise

Thanks again!!!

-Green- 

Don't worry just please stop messaging me

Green mutes his conversation with Gold and sighs. "He really wants to send me to an early grave." 

The dinner is a quiet affair. During the preparation, Red had asked a few things about Johto while Silver made them fruit smoothies for later, claiming Gold needed to eat more healthy, and judging by the snacks Green bought, so did he. After complaining that it wasn't a proper dessert, Gold was sent out to get them ice cream. The dinner itself was quiet, filled only with a few questions that worked like ice breakers. Gold and Silver wanted to get to know Red, who in turn was curious about them. 

"I heard you moved away from your mother." Silver states and Red nods. Noticing the change of subjects to parents, Green raises a brow at Silver, who just shrugs back. 

**Yeah. What about you?**

"I never knew my mother. All I know is that my father left us, then I was taken in by some psychopath, then when me and Blue escaped, I kinda lived on my own for a long time. I did meet my father again but considering he was part of an organisation I helped take down, it wasn't exactly a loving relationship." There's a surprised look on Red, who turns to Green, raises a brow, then turns back to Silver. Green thinks over the answer then realises it must be the mention of Blue. She never mentioned knowing someone called Silver until way after Red had disappeared to Mt.Silver. Before Red can even consider answering, Silver quickly interrupts. "Speaking of, I heard that you know of my father." When Red raises a brow at that, Silver takes a deep breath, almost as if bracing for the reaction. "Giovanni. Giovanni is my father." A pause. Two. Five. 

**Excuse me.** Not waiting for an answer, Red stands and walks towards the balcony. Speaking of, Gold really did go all out for their room. Their view was of the Burned Tower, surely something that cost a lot already, but to also have a balcony? What's next, a hot tub in the bathroom? 

"Is he okay?" It's almost startling to hear Silver sound so unsure of himself. Yeah, he had some issues but he always matched Gold's cocky attitude and the way he held himself never gave away that he may have some underlying problems. Deep down, Green knows that Silver only grew more confident during his time with Gold - at least that's what he claimed. Apparently hanging out with an overconfident overachiever did that. 

"He'll be okay. His pokeballs are here so it's not like he went for a quick escape." Despite his words, Green still stands and follows Red. The raven may be fine, but it's still quite a piece of information to process. Meeting someone and finding out their father is the leader of an organisation that practically stalked you? If Green's suspicions are correct, the man also tried to kill him, so it's definitely not bringing happy memories back. Before he can even open the door to the balcony, he sees Red turn then enter the room once more, this time heading straight towards Silver. Due to his position, Green can't tell what he signs. Silver's answer is… well, enough to let him guess. 

"Huh?! Why are YOU apologising to me?" The red-head stands. This is the first time he's seen someone look appalled at the idea of being apologised to. "My father was an evil piece of shit that made your life miserable! Then after being beat up by a kid he just went off to another region to sulk and try and take over there, but this idiot over here stopped him." Gold doesn't seem too offended by being called an idiot. In fact, he almost seems proud of the fact. "If someone should be apologising, it should be me!" When Red signs something once more, he decides to move closer. One side of the conversation isn't the greatest context, and he's also just nosy. It may not be the standard drama he watches on TV but it's still something. The look Gold gives him must show he's not the only one to feel this way. 

"Why I- well. It's- I- Ugh."

**It's not your fault. Giovanni did not do all this because you forced him. You have nothing to apologise for.**

"But- Gold, you understand, right?" When he shakes his head, Silver looks towards Green. He also shakes his head. "I guess I'm apologising on his behalf. Like. I feel bad because that's my father."

 **He left you. Then he did not look for you. You are not responsible for his actions. Plus, no need to apologise. He won't be getting any forgiveness anytime soon.** Silver seems to struggle at hearing those words, and Green can sympathise. He did his fair share of apologising on behalf of others. Well, his grandfather mostly, but still. The memory of the conversation he had with Lance that finally stopped his apologies is always as fresh as if it had happened a day ago. It left quite an impact on him, and he doubts he would be where he is now if it weren't for Lance. 

"Gold, wanna get the ice cream? I'm done with my food anyway, and by the looks of things, so are all of you." The plates are mostly cleared, except for Gold's. At least he has the decency to look sheepish as soon as Green sends a knowing look in his direction. With him and Silver on good terms, it's not like he has to truly worry about the other, but sometimes he just can't help it. "Silver you pick a film. Last time I let Red choose he fell asleep halfway through, and it's only dinnertime. I still wanted to visit the Burned Tower today." Nodding at him, Silver quickly makes his way towards the couch. Perhaps he isn't done talking about forgiveness and all, but Red is stubborn. The conversation may as well be over. 

"Is Mamma Mia alright?" Silver knows Gold never shuts up during the film. The last time they watched it together, his apartment was somehow covered in tinsel, glitter, and makeshift microphones. Something about being a dancing queen but working with what you had on hand. 

"Green sings it in the shower so yeah." Red and Silver will send him to an early grave, especially since they're now talking in hushed voices, no doubt about something to bully him with later on.

"Who wants sprinkles, whipped cream, jelly beans, oreos, and caramel sauce with their ice cream?" Correction, all three of them will send him to an early grave. Then again, if Green can survive the upcoming trip to Kalos with the three of them, he's sure he'll be able to survive anything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Johto duo? going to Kalos? More likely than you think!  
> Also next chapter just has Green suffering for like 90% of it :) Hope you guys look forward to it :) It'll be the longest chapter so far :) Professor Oak makes an appearance :) 
> 
> Also let me know if there's any ships or scenes you'd all like to see, since I'm always happy to write more :)
> 
> Also in Kalos, I will be hinting at Sycamore/Lysandre, however, whether it will be a proper ship or something of the past is yet to be decided. I like the ship but I'm not sure if I'll be able to properly write for it


	4. I held my breath and took a leap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four trainers travel across Johto (summarised) and then meet DJ Mary, who invites Green to participate in an interview alongside his grandfather - Professor Oak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alternate summary to this chapter: Green just suffers  
> :)

The Burned Tower was exciting. The Bell Tower was mildly disappointing. Azalea Town was as exciting as he predicted (not very much). He had to be practically dragged away from the Ruins of Alph by the others. Violet City was a nice stop but Green was so eager to return to the Ruins of Alph that he's sure he just didn't appreciate it enough. Okay, let's backtrack a little.

The Burned Tower was an exciting thing to look through, at least to him. Gold and Silver weren't as impressed, Red was simply curious, but Green adored the history behind it, and he was curious if the legendary beasts have been sighted since their resurrection. The Johto duo said they were, but didn't give more details. All in all, the tower was a history relic and the story of how Ho-oh brought back three Pokemon back to life only raised questions. Which Pokemon were they before? Why did Ho-oh choose to save them? Were there others that Ho-oh brought back that had the same legendary status or were they the first, but upon seeing the people fear them, did the legendary bird decide it wouldn't help others? When he asked those questions, Silver made an offhand comment about how if he knew how to speak to Pokemon, he'd ask it. Of course, Green had a mild breakdown upon finding out the Johto duo had both the legendary Pokemon of the region. Did that mean they also had the beasts? He thought it best not to ask. 

The Bell Tower was off-limits. Even Morty said that after Ho-oh had been caught by a mysterious trainer, the tower was only accessible to a select few. Unfortunately, Red, practically a World Champion, didn't have the privilege, so neither did the rest of them. Of course, if someone had Ho-oh in their possession, they would be allowed up - was what Morty said with a pointed look at Silver, who only shrugged, muttered 'too bad none of us have it' then walked off. At least he got to see it from the outside. Red also got him a small charm of Ho-oh over the Bell Tower as a consolation. 

Azalea town was full of slowpokes. Their 'ancient relic of time' was a well that looked old and dried up, but Green refrained from pointing that out. Red told him he was sure he saw a dead Magikarp at the bottom and Green decided he had enough of the town, and they left pretty early on. He's sure the town has its own beliefs and he's not about to make fun of them, but he's also not about to encourage it. After they left, Gold mentioned there was a forest with a rumoured Pokemon of Time dwelling in it. Green decided they could go there some other time, as they were on a time limit. Perhaps they could go at the very end of their trip. 

The Ruins of Alph were the most interesting thing he’s seen so far. The engraved words were fascinating and he spent at least 2 hours just studying the Unown that he encountered. Red caught one of them, but he didn’t share what letter it was, which mildly annoyed him. Gold and Silver decided they had no use for an Unown, and they said if they ever changed their minds, they lived pretty close anyway, so they could always go back. Silver shot down the idea of catching them and sending them to Green once their trip was over which was highly disappointing. They attempted some of the puzzles but Gold kept saying he was tired, and that he wanted to go to Violet City and spend the night there, rather than in some ruins. After another hour, Red finally dragged him out of there, Silver and Gold happily following them out. They said he could go back in his own time, but they already spent far too long looking at ruins. Green already made a plan to come back to try and catch all the letters of Unown available. 

Violet City was interesting enough. The Sprout Tower was the highlight, but even then, it was nothing compared to the Ruins, which were still on his mind. They trained some of their pokemon up but decided they had enough after just a few battles. One of the sages ended up talking to Gold about Crystal. Apparently she visited a while back while tracking a pokemon. Green didn't want to eavesdrop, unlike Silver, so he dragged Red to another room to have another battle. He lost once again. 

They were now arriving in Goldenrod City, and Green finally put the Ruins of Alph behind him. He could return one day, but now his thoughts were focused on his anxiety, which was through the roof. "Greenie, I swear I didn't know. Plus it's not like _I_ planned the order of things, so I shouldn't take the blame." Gold's voice was starting to annoy him, so he knew he had to find a place to sit down and calm down. After years of knowing each other, he had grown accustomed to his ongoing rants, and he was used to his constant rambling - he once sat through Gold talking about Silver for 5 hours - he's used to it. But with his anxiety going haywire, he really can't stand the constant talking anymore. He even senses, more than feels, Eevee resisting just breaking out of her ball, but she knows he will send her out if the need arises. 

"Gold. Just. Be quiet for now." That shuts the other boy almost instantly, and Green has to take a deep breath to steady his voice. "I'm not mad at you, or upset with you, or whatever. My anxiety is currently going haywire and I just-" he takes another deep breath- "I need somewhere to sit down and I don't know, unwind." Vaguely waving his hands around doesn't help, but he's at a loss. Of course, the day they decide to visit DJ Mary, Professor Oak decides to be there too in order to host his famous show. They couldn't cancel on Mary as they were on schedule and their train would leave tomorrow, which meant they had to interact with the Professor at some point anyway. 

"I can call up Mary and tell her something came up." Gold mutters and Green shoots the idea down straight away. She's Gold's friend AND idol. Because of their schedules, he can't see her often, and Green certainly wouldn't interfere with that. He can just go do something else. At least that was his idea until Mary asked if she could do an exclusive interview with him, something about one of his research papers. Of course his grandfather would be included in that, and he wasn't a quitter so he _agreed_. That would include talking to him. Sharing information about his research. Hearing the hidden jabs. How he didn't do a good enough job on it. 

Next thing he knows is that they're sitting in the corner of a cafe, there's an empty mug in front of him, and he's holding a nav to his ear. "What?" Gold and Silver are sat opposite, showing each other stuff on their navs, sending occasional glances in his direction. Red is next to him, surprisingly without his jacket on. 

"You okay now?" Lance's voice comes through his nav and he furrows his brows in confusion. 

"Uh. Yes. I think so. What happened?" His three friends suddenly seem to relax and Red almost knocks him out of his seat through the force of the hug. 

"You dissociated really hard. At least that's what I think happened from the sound of it. Apparently you guys were just walking when suddenly you just started being very monotone and rarely replying. Red said it was like you weren't even there. Do you remember any of that?" Vaguely. Very vaguely. Thinking back on it, he _does_ remember Silver pointing out a cafe and the four of them sitting down and having something to eat. They still had a few hours before meeting DJ Mary so Gold suggested going there. Green has a memory of ordering the first thing he saw on the menu. Red had asked him something - what was it? Oh, if he was sure. Did he order something he didn't like? He also remembers drinking a cup of tea. Or two. Or was it three? Considering he lost track of time, he wouldn't be surprised no matter the number. The whole time feels foreign and like it wasn't his memory, or rather like he wasn't fully in control. This _has_ happened before. At the time, he had gone to see his grandfather, and while he does remember going over to Lance's and spending time there, it still felt like a shock to know he was there for a whole week. From what Lance told him, it was trauma. Or a reaction to it. Something about feeling like an out of body experience. He definitely freaked out but Lance reassured him that everyone dissociated, even at a mild level - such as daydreaming, but he simply just… took it to another one. He never truly looked more into it.

"Uh. Kind of. If I think back, I know exactly what happened, with only a minor loss of memory - more about how much time has passed than anything else." Stretching out, he notices that Red's jacket is over his own shoulders. It's a comforting weight, and he wonders if Lance told Red to do it. 

"Apparently you started just staring out the window and not responding much, so Red called me. We've been on the phone for almost two hours now." Nausea fills him and he wants to hang up. "I was free for the rest of the day anyway so don't worry about it." The words almost immediately fill him with relief, but the guilt of wasting Lance's time still lingers. Then he realises his three friends have been sat in the same place for almost two hours, so they had to deal with him too, and the nausea starts to creep back in. 

"I know I had no control over it, but sorry." Gold and Silver just give him weird looks, Red's hug tightens, and Lance laughs. 

"You won't ever stop apologising, will you? Don't worry about it. You know I'd take a week off if you needed it so don't go apologising for something I willingly do, yeah?" Green nods, then realises Lance can't see him. Before he can reply, he's interrupted. "Now hang up and talk to your friends. They must be worried. From what I heard, Red almost flew you over to me before Gold suggested a simple call." With that, the two of them hang up. 

"Mary says we can cancel." Gold speaks up as soon as Green puts the nav away. "I told her you were a bit sick and that we'd let her know half an hour in advance if you'd still be up for the interview." 

"Nah. I'll do it." Before anyone can oppose this, he continues. "I'll have Eevee with me just in case, and I'm sure you guys can be there too. That's already a comforting thought to have. Plus, if Gold ends up wanting to fight gramps, it'd be entertaining." With that in mind, there's no arguments left. There is definitely unease and Gold assures him that he will only try to fight the professor if Green gives him the go ahead. The Johto duo know how his grandfather could affect him. They were there when Green almost had a breakdown over his first research paper, just because it took him almost a whole year after finishing it to publish it, all because it was never good enough. The only reason it actually got published was because Daisy stepped in and said it had her approval, so his grandfather couldn't argue much. Red was never a witness to it, so he doesn't quite see the esteemed Professor Oak as a bad guy. Sure, he knows he stresses Green out, but doesn't quite know why. The fact that Red _could_ find out why during the interview is terrifying. He used to look up to the professor, and even now he still believes him to be a good person. 

Almost an hour later, they're sitting in the recording studio. Mary was more than happy to have all four of them there, especially since Red agreed to answer some questions too. Silver and Gold said they could answer anything as well, though Silver didn't look too happy at that. Due to the number of people, they decided to make a few adjustments, and so they moved to a recording studio that was used for longer sessions. It also meant more comfort. Mary sits at the recording set up, a microphone stand right next to her desk which has loads of papers on it, surely filled with questions. Silver and Gold sit on the bigger couch, close enough to be almost cuddling. Red and Green sit on the other couch, it's definitely much smaller, so they are pretty close, but not as close as the Johto duo. Eevee is sitting on his lap, happily purring. Mary laughed when she started, saying that if Green's microphone caught it, there would definitely be a higher listener count. There is a small sofa to their right, which Professor Oak sits on. It is on the side closer to Green, so at least he knows he could stop Gold from hitting the professor if the worst happened. The professor didn't even look at Green when he came in, simply apologised for being late before greeting Red and Mary, then taking his seat. The other three were ignored, though he did glance over at the Johto duo. Maybe he wouldn't stop Gold. 

"Welcome to the Goldenrod City Radio! We have a small surprise for all our listeners out there today! The Professor Oak special has been slightly changed, as we now have 4 other interviewees in our studio today! Gold, known as the hero of Johto, who stopped Team Rocket. Silver, his esteemed rival, who also helped in stopping the villainous group. Red of Pallet, the ex-world champion who was the youngest to become one! And Green Oak, first ever champion in Kanto, gym leader in Viridian City, and a well known researcher! What can't he do!" Mary winks at him and Green laughs, unable to stop himself. 

"If it's any consolation, I'm awful at baking?" He offers and he feels Red shaking from silent laughter. Mary laughs too and the interview begins. The first few questions are directed at the professor, then Mary moves onto the Johto duo. She asks them about their current plans and what they plan on doing in the future. Stuff like whether Gold will make an attempt at the championship, and if Silver will follow along. She seems genuinely surprised when Gold tells her that he has no plans to attempt the league, and, after a well needed vacation, will work with professor Elm in hatching Pokemon, apparently one of his hidden talents. Silver claims he wishes to attempt the league, but he wants to focus on personal matters at the moment. 

"Moving onto our ex-champion Red, and yes, you've heard that right, ex-champion! While still undefeated, he has renounced his title just the other week. May we know why?" She asks and Red stiffens a little before nodding. Green slightly nudges him, and quietly whispers an offer to narrate his sign language. The other quickly nods. Green translates as they go. 

"Sorry, gonna speak on his behalf. Sign language doesn't translate quite well on radio." Mary smiles and nods, turning Green's microphone on. "'I thought it would be best. I escaped the responsibility soon after winning the title from Green, and spent almost 10 years on a mountain. After coming back, Lance of the Elite Four has offered the opportunity to renounce my title, and no longer have to worry. I took the offer in a heartbeat. I barely won against Green, and, if he had the time to properly rest before I challenged him, I doubt I would have been victorious.'" Green feels himself blush at the words. Surely Red doesn't mean that. 

"Oh? But hasn't Green given up some gym badges to trainers before?" She has a good point, but no one really knows that he has to give some badges every now and then. His gym cannot be impossible. 

"I have to give some badges out, and I haven't really used my championship team for my gym." It's not really a trade secret, and most of his challengers are always shocked at the lack of some Pokemon he used in his Champion battle. "My gym is the final stage before the Elite Four, so I need to give the challengers a chance to beat me. There's a level cap we have to stand by for our teams, so trainers have an easier time. I still don't give out too many badges, and the only time I was truly overwhelmed was when Gold showed up. I doubt the result would be the same had we both gone all out." It's slightly immature, but he sticks his tongue out at Gold who feigns offence.

"Is that a challenge, Greenie? I'm down for a rematch, you know." 

"Of course it is, Goldie." Mary chuckles at the two and tells them to take a five minute break while they run some adverts. 

"We'll discuss your latest research after the break, is that okay?" Green nods and glances over at his grandfather, who was already looking over at the four of them. He turns back to talk to his friends.

"We should have a few matches one day. Doubles." Of course, the most enthusiastic one about that is Gold, but no one can blame him. All four of them are quite competitive. He checks his nav and sees that Lance has messaged him about the interview. Apparently the whole Elite Four is listening in to it. Great.

The five minute break is over before he knows it, and the dreaded part begins. "So, Green, moving onto your career as a researcher. Last month, you mentioned a research paper on your social media. How is that coming along?" 

"It's coming along, I guess. I wrote it out and have put all the data I had. I was just waiting on fixing some errors and then I'd be able to publish it." He keeps the answers short. The research paper is the one he probably won't publish, or he will simply ask Professor Sycamore to go over it, especially since his grandfather has done nothing but give his complaints. 

"Who usually checks over them?" They all know the answer. It's always the same person. It's the same person who causes him to publish all the papers late. 

"My gramps, Professor Oak. Usually when I'm done, I just send them over and wait for a response." He shrugs and starts to pet Eevee. She had stopped purring before, but it begins once more. It's relatively quiet for now. 

"Ah yes. I did receive your latest revision of it." His grandfather speaks up and his hands stills for a moment before going back to petting. "I believe there were a few errors and I mentioned gathering some more data. You can never truly have enough data these days, especially with all the new discoveries around the world." Mary stays quiet for the time being and Green wishes she had more questions to interrupt them with. 

"Red dropped the revision off, but I must have not gone over it." He debates going further with it. They're on live radio, he could criticise him for being far too harsh. He could call him out on not even reading over the papers since he has sent the same exact copy for the 4th time now, and every single comment ends up telling him how to improve it all, with a few good words scattered around. Fuck it. "I did notice that you asked for more data though, which is kinda impossible. The paper is on whether Support Pokemon are being used as tools or not, especially since some people have started to speak out against them. I gathered all the data I possibly could within the set time limit." 

"More data is never impossible. This is why your papers are always so lacking." Always lacking. Green has heard that phrase far too many times. At the age of 8, he read all the books available to him within a week. He had barely slept just because he wanted to know all of it. The professor told him he was lacking in knowledge and he should have read more. At the age of 9, he came back with a test from the Pokemon school that he and Red attended. 98% correct, for both of them. Red was deemed a prodigy and Green should have known better, should have gotten full marks. He lived with a Pokemon Professor, surely he knew he lacked the drive to study? At the age of 10, he lost the first battle against Red. 'You're lacking in discipline.' Was all his grandfather got to say before Green ran out and began his journey. No goodbyes. Age 12, he lost his Raticate. 'You lacked compassion.' At the age of 13, he lost his champion title to Red and all his grandfather had to say was criticism. Age 17. 'You lack Knowledge. Research. Data. Compassion. Drive.' Never good enough. 

"Green?" Mary's voice cuts him out of his thoughts and he notices that Eevee's face is practically shoved against his cheek, and she's purring so loud that the whole station might as well hear her. 

"Sorry. I spaced out a little, what did you say?" Eevee quickly moves back to sitting in his lap, but she's standing on the ready. Her eyes are almost glaring at Green who gives her a small smile and starts to pet her. 

"I asked if you knew when you would be publishing the paper." She seems almost worried. He wonders if he missed out on anything else. The question almost seems like the perfect one, especially since he was looking for a way to publicly announce his long absence. The challengers at the gym were only currently told there was a temporary replacement. The league were the only ones who needed the real reason. 

"Actually, I won't be publishing it." Sitting up straighter, he ignores the look his grandfather gives him. "I got a great opportunity to partake in a research paper abroad, so I took it." There's some satisfaction in knowing that his grandfather had never gotten a chance to see Kalos. "I had some plans to travel anyway, but with something big like that, I just couldn't say no, could I?" He smiles at Mary who nods along. 

"Of course. Are we allowed to know who you'll be working with and where?" Though he doubts it would be an issue, he still takes a moment to think about whether Professor Sycamore would be okay with him announcing this. Then again, it would be inevitable that the information would spread sooner or later.

"Of course! I'll be working alongside the esteemed Professor Sycamore in Kalos. I'm not too sure what the research paper will be about yet, but I look forward to working with him." The feeling of pride returns to him when he remembers the letter. Lance had told him that he received another letter, letting him know that he could stop by the professor's lab when he showed up in Kalos, and he and his companion would be shown all around Lumiose City. Their travel tickets stated that the journey would take just over a week, with minimal delays. 

"Oh? That's the first time I'm hearing this." His grandfather's voice slightly dampens the excitement, but Eevee nudges at his hand, which is a welcome distraction, if only until more words are spoken. "Hopefully your research will have greatly improved by then, if you want to live up to the high expectations set upon you." To most people, this may sound slightly harsh, but Green knows that in his grandfather's words, this just means that no matter what he does, it won't ever be good enough. He can _hear_ the disappointed tone that he's used to hearing all these years. Always criticising him, telling him to try harder, telling him how he won't ever live up to the expectation of his own last name. The next words are spoken before he can even stop himself.

"None of my work will ever live up to your impossibly high standard you have set for me. All you expect of me is failure, so why even act like you think I'll give you any more than that? For publicity sake?" He can hear Gold choke on his own breath and he feels Red's hand on his arm, possibly trying to stop him from saying anything else. Even Mary hesitantly hovers her hand above the microphone settings. His grandfather looks both shocked and appalled at the idea of Green saying anything back. Deciding to continue, he at least has the safe net of knowing the Elite Four would be proud. He wouldn't be surprised if Agatha showed up just to tell him to say more. "All you've done all my life is criticise me, constantly telling me none of my work will ever be good enough. I've done a lot of good research, clearly good enough to catch attention, yet you still will never acknowledge it. I'm done working with you. Arceus knows why I continued for this long." Putting a reluctant Eevee back in her pokeball, he turns to Mary and gives her an apologetic look. "Sorry, I'll have to cut things short. Turns out I really can't stand being in the same room as my old gramps." He removes the microphone, then leaves the room, only mildly aware of being followed by someone. Whoever it is, they leave him in peace as he leaves the building and heads straight back to the cafe they were in before. 

"I'll get us drinks." Gold's voice drifts away as Green makes his way over to the booths, sitting down and burying his face in his hands and trying to catch up on everything that just happened. Sweet Arceus he just did that. On live radio. A comforting weight drapes itself over his shoulders and suddenly there's a feeling of being home. When he looks up and realises that Red just placed his jacket over him, he flushes bright red. Of course that would feel like home. Just before he can speak up, Gold returns, places himself across from Red and grins. 

"Don't even think about apologising. That was _awesome_!" Shaking his head, he just laughs. It was something he feared would happen, but he can't bring himself to regret it. When his Pokenav buzzes, he quickly takes it out, already guessing who messaged him. 

-Agatha-

Good job you brat.

He deserved to be called out for this

-Lorelei-

I'm stunned that you did it on live TV, but he certainly was out of line.

-Bruno-

Congratulations.

-Lance-

NICE

My offer still stands in case he tries anything.

Put him out of your mind when you go to Kalos. 

The interview is already online.

-Agatha-

Are you trying to give the kid a heart-attack?

-Lance-

No. But he deserves to find out from us, rather than looking online. 

Anyway, people are a little shocked but not surprised. 

Your train is tomorrow morning, correct? Make sure you're not late.

-Lorelei-

Since when are you a father to the kid, Lance?

-Lance-

Don't even ask. 

-Green-

Thanks. 

I'm not a kid. <Read>

Their drinks arrive and Green feels surprisingly okay. His nerves may still be a little frayed, but Gold starts telling them how he first met Mary, and slowly, he begins to relax more. Daisy will most likely try to contact him at some point, and he's sure that once they're back, his grandfather will be on his case once more. However, right now, all he can focus on is his friends and that soon he'll be in Kalos. The vague memory of Gold making fun of popular young adult book tropes pops up, and while he would never admit it out loud, he does start to like the idea of the found family trope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took the least amount of time to write because all of it just kinda kept flowing. Also because I apparently like to make Green suffer. Red with his little charm is something I LOVE and Silver just being 'too bad' is probbaly the best thing I'll ever write in my life (i'm joking, but also not)
> 
> The next chapter finally sets them in Kalos and they meet professor Sycamore and get to tour Lumiose city. Also it sets up 3 things for the fanfic :)  
> also I wrote 20k words already and I'm like... only starting this fic. WHAT. I've just finished them arriving in Kalos, the 3rd region featured, and I still wanted to write an adventure in Galar, Unova, Alola, and possibly Sinnoh and Hoenn as well asdfghjkl this will be a longer fic than i anticipated but I hope yall enjoy it anyway ^^


	5. I won't hold myself back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They arrive in Kalos and meet professor Sycamore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was fun to write  
> its literally just chill and they get to relax from having problems

The journey to Kalos was an exhausting one, and the four of them were ready to pass out when they arrived, even if they couldn’t. The morning of their departure was more stressful than necessary, all because Gold didn't pack the night before, and Silver overslept. The train journey back to Kanto took roughly 3 hours, all because there was some sort of accident along the way. He was supposed to see Yellow before he left but he had to cancel, telling her that she could always visit them, or they could see each other once they returned. They also had to resort to using their Pokemon to fly over to Vermillion City so that they could catch the boat in time. The boat journey itself was pretty calm. They spent the afternoon and evening enjoying the pool and outside scenery, and Green was the first to retreat back to his shared room with Red, passing out on the bed almost instantly. He woke up past noon and still felt somewhat exhausted. The room was empty, so Red must have already woken up, or got dragged into an all nighter by Gold. They arrived in Canalave City in Sinnoh the next afternoon, then waited until evening to catch a ship that would take them to Galar. It took roughly 5 days to get to Hulbury Town and they got a train straight to Hammerlocke City just under 30 minutes after arriving. There were no more trains for the day, so they stayed at one of the hotels, purchasing just cheap rooms. Their next train departed early in the morning, so Green basically had to drag 3 half asleep people to the train station. In Wyndon, he let them stay at the station while he went to grab them all breakfast, deciding the food on the train wouldn't be enough. The train is supposed to take them straight to Lumiose City, and it shouldn't take more than 3 hours. 

"Are we almost there?" Silver asks him as he wakes up from his nap. Green stayed up while the other 3 fell back to sleep after devouring breakfast. It's dark outside, mostly due to them currently being underwater, but the train is illuminated quite well. 

"I think so. We have less than 30 minutes to go. We should be seeing daylight soon enough." True to his word, the train exits the canal tunnel and they finally see daylight once more. The weather looks a little cloudy, and Green fears they'll need to maneuver their way through Lumiose City in the rain. It wouldn't be the worst thing to happen since the professor gave them very clear instructions on how to find his lab, but they still had no idea what the city was like. Slouching down a little, he grabs the news leaflet he was given just moments ago. 

The front page is about a man named Lysandre. Apparently he tried to erase the whole region and start anew. He was stopped by two trainers, who wished to remain off the tabloid news for the time being. Apparently Lysandre was going through a rehabilitation program, so he was able to keep his famous cafe. For public safety, he would have a qualified professional by him 24/7, and he would be staying in an undisclosed safe location. His first move towards redeeming himself was donating all profits from the Holocaster to Pokemon charities. He also decided that whatever money was made from the Holocataster, he would match it, and donate it too. "Perhaps I should send this to my father." Silver mutters as he peers at the article headline ‘Criminal rehabilitation, can we trust him?’. "He could learn a thing or two about redeeming himself." Shrugging, Green turns the page, which forces Silver to stop reading and move back to his seat. Finally feeling the exhaustion from the trip, he decides he will sleep early today. Or maybe he'll have a nap? 

The next page advertises the Holocaster. Maybe he'll get one, as it does appear to be a very big upgrade from the Pokenav. Then again, in Galar they had these things called Rotom Phones, which while still quite new, were spreading like wildfire. Making a mental note to look into all his options, he puts the leaflet down. It's all mostly about news he truly can't bring himself to care about quite yet, or new deals he has no clue about.

_~Dear Travelers, we will be arriving in Lumiose City in just 5 minutes. Please wait until the train has fully stopped before exiting. We remind everyone to take all their belongings and to follow the right side of traffic. Our information desk is to the right of the ticket gate, and a cafe and toilets are located on the left hand side. Thank you for travelling using the DeoRail - the fastest train service in the World~_

"We should wake those two up." Green stretches before he attempts to wake Red up. The trio didn't take any of their stuff out, and Green only took out a book to read on the way, so at least he didn't have to stress about leaving anything behind. 

It turned out there was no reason to worry about the weather, as it was stunningly sunny in Kalos at the moment. There was a slight breeze and luckily it wasn't so hot that they had to rush to remove their jackets, so the four trainers simply stood outside the station, all while trying to figure out where they were going. Knowing his Kalosian was a little rusty, as the last time he studied it was 2 years prior, Green still gave his best shot to ask for directions. "Okay, apparently we're in the North Boulevard, while the lab is located in the South Boulevard. Also, Kantonian is pretty common here, so we shouldn't have too many problems." The way to the lab was a short one, especially since they were instructed to just turn left after exiting the station. The city was more busy than he expected, definitely more busy than Goldenrod City, but they still had space to be comfortable. From what he heard, there was a city in Unova that was impossible to navigate through. 

The lab itself is quite large, definitely much larger than what Green has seen in both Kanto and Johto. If memory serves right, it's also much larger than the one in Hoenn. He's looking through another leaflet about the Holocaster when professor Sycamore comes down to greet them. "Bonjour, you must be Green, correct?" The first thing Green realises is that he's been saying 'bonjour' wrong his entire life and no one has ever corrected him, and the second is that professor Sycamore lives up to his name of a heartthrob. While Green's heart is set on someone else, he can't lie and say the professor isn't an attractive person. 

"Ah, yes. That's me." It's a little late to realise he was staring, and that his three friends just watched it all happen. "This is Red, the one I mentioned in my letter, and these two are Gold and Silver. They heard we were going to Kalos and decided to tag along, especially since it is known as the region of love." Motioning to each friend as he speaks, he sees that Sycamore greets them all individually, just as much enthusiasm for each of them. It's quite heartwarming. "Sorry, I probably should have sent a letter to warn you."

"Nonsense! Come on, all four of you. It would be rude of me to make you all stand here when I have many comfortable seats up in my office!" The professor leads them towards an elevator and then up to his office, not wasting any time in making sure they're all sat comfortably and offering them various flavours of tea. "I have an appointment in 30 minutes - some new trainers will be picking up their starters - but after that I will be free to show you all around the city. I have arranged for two rooms in the Hotel Richissime, so I'll make sure more rooms are booked by the time our tour is over."

"Are the rooms both single beds?" The professor pours them all their tea and sits down at his desk, smiling. 

"No, no. They're both Queen sized beds."

"Then two rooms are good enough, right?" His friends nod, and when Sycamore gives a slightly confused smile, Gold leans over and pecks Silver on the cheek, who turns bright red before calling him a fool. Understanding dawns on the professor's face. 

"Ah, young love. I understand." He glances from Red back to him, and since Red makes no correction to it, neither does he. "The rooms will give all of you a view of Lumiose City, and I had the staff leave my favourite guide to Kalos in there, just in case you wanted to travel independently for a little while." Gold turns to Silver, who gives him a small nod, a fond smile gracing his face. A gentle nudge to his side draws his attention to Red, who quickly signs to him. 

**Can you ask what tea this is? I quite like it.** Before he can even nod, the professor speaks up. 

"Did you want to know the brand?" Red shakes his head. "The flavour then?" Red nods and the professor smiles once more. "I can give you a few boxes if you'd like. My… supplier gave me far too many boxes than I can drink in a year, so keeping it all to myself would only be selfish." One thing Green notices is that the professor doesn't sit in one place for too long, given how he was sat for less than a minute and is already on the move, going through various cabinets and taking out blank boxes, with just the flavour written on them in very neat penmanship. "I'm a little rusty with Kantonian sign language, but it appears to be quite similar to the Kalosian one, with a few changes here and there. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up on it again." Placing a now full bag of tea beside Red, the professor goes to sit at his desk again. Green begins counting the seconds to see how long the professor will stay in place. 

"So out of curiosity, what are the best date spots in Kalos?" Gold gets right to the point, apparently this being the only thing he could ask, and the professor is up on his feet again. 

"Well, we have Lumiose City, which is probably the most popular place for couples. There are many amazing date spots, especially this quaint little cafe I know. Anistar City is another popular spot, with the sundial being a stunning backdrop for any date. Any city should be good, if you fit it to your loved ones needs." The professor then hands Gold a small leaflet. "All the cafes in Lumiose are advertised here." It seems like they're all in good care, and Green couldn't ask for more. 

After a few more questions, the four of them leave to drop off their bags in the hotel. They're apparently welcome to stay as long as necessary and they won't need to worry about the costs. Green tries to ask why but he's simply waved away, told it did not matter. The rooms are quite large and Green has to stare at the bed for a long time because it's absolutely massive. Red and him could both stretch out and still be out of each other's way. There's a parcel on his bed, addressed to him. Wasting no time, he quickly opens it up to find a set of two Holocasters and a few accessories. There's a letter explaining that it would be much easier to remain in contact if Green had an updated mode of communication, and the items were a gift from a friend who offered to fund their research. He feels bad for a moment but then decides that if there was a problem with such a gift, it wouldn't be given in the first place. He passes one of the Holocaster boxes to Red and begins opening his own. The Holocaster looks to be a brand new model, and there's a watch that connects to it, as well as wireless headphones. The device is already set up and running, so the first thing he tries to do is call his own Pokenav. It's a pleasant surprise to find that it rings just a moment later. This means he won't lose contact with anyone from Kanto. Quickly saving all contact information, he sends out a message to anyone of importance to let them know of the change. 

Gold and Silver message him from new numbers, claiming someone delivered two Holocasters to them too, just a few minutes after arriving at the hotel. "The professor sure is efficient, huh." Green mutters as he finishes up saving Red's new contact information. Speaking of Red, after setting up his own Holocaster, he handed it to Green then proceeded to organise the tea given to him by the professor. Apparently there were a few other flavours, and Red seemed pleasantly surprised, if the turned on kettle and the two mugs were anything to go by. 

"He's nice." Red pours them both tea and walks up to him, handing him the tea, therefore forcing him to put the Holocaster down. For a moment, he looks like he wants to say something, but the sudden knocking on their door replaces his expression with annoyance. He grows more annoyed when it turns out it was Gold and Silver, wanting to show off their new Holocasters to them, and claiming they wanted to explore the city. Green tries to remind them that the professor would show them around once he was done with handing out starter pokemon, but the two don't care as they drag them both out, eager to start. 

They decide to slowly walk around, going the opposite way from the professor's lab. The first stop is the museum. While they don't go inside, Green makes use of the internet feature on the Holocaster to see what the museum has to offer. Upon learning that there are no entry fees, he decides to not spoil anything that's inside. 

"Oh! A galette stand!" Gold calls out and quickly rushes ahead, dragging Silver along. Green turns to Red to see an eager expression on his face. 

"You want to try one?" When Red nods, the two quickly follow the Johto duo who are now standing at the end of a fairly large queue. Green quickly sends a message to the professor to let him know about their whereabouts. "Are these things popular?" He asks Gold, who is practically bouncing on his feet at this point. 

"Yes! I read about them the other day! They sell out very quickly, hence the queue, and the flavours are apparently to die for! Hey, Silver, what flavour do you want?" Turning to his boyfriend, Gold looks more happy than he has been recently. It's only then that Green realises the trip wasn't just for the sole purpose of proposing to Silver, but to also give the two a break. Even Silver himself looks more relaxed than he has in a while. 

"Whatever fruit or chocolate they have is fine." They seem to move up quickly in the queue, yet the queue itself never seems to go down, with people constantly joining it. 

"Ah, sorry. We only have two left. A chocolate galette and a peach one." 

"We'll take them both! We can share, right guys?" Gold turns to look at them all, but doesn't wait for a reply before handing the woman the money. "Thanks!"

"Je vous en prie. We hope to see you again." She hands the two galettes over and Gold hands Green the peach one almost instantly, who in turns hands it over to Red. He was always much better at splitting things in half, somehow never having the so-called 'halves' be unequal. As soon as he takes the first bite, someone calls out his name. Of course. The professor is waiting for them just on the opposite side of the road. Green sure hopes blessings don't run out, since now he doesn't have to worry about replying with his mouth full. 

"Ah, galettes! The best time to pick them up is usually 3pm. They have a fresh batch and most people don't get here from work until at least quarter past." Useful information, especially since Green is already growing fond of the pastry. By the looks of it, so are the rest of them. "I'll start the tour by showing you this amazing berry juice bar. It's pretty close by, and we can tour around until we get hungry. I'll treat you all to one of the cafes on the same avenue as the juice shop. It's moderately cheap compared to the other places as well." With that, they begin their tour. 

The juice shop offers them all a great discount, all because they know the professor. The sales assistants seem to flirt to the professor, who is either oblivious to it all, or is simply ignoring it. The juice itself is quite nice, if not a little too sweet for his tastes. You can definitely taste the berries used, and Green already looks forward to trying out the various flavours, as well as different berry combinations. The next thing the professor shows them are the three restaurants in the area. Apparently they're the top three expensive ones, and all of them, except for Red and the professor, pale at the cost of a single meal. 

The next few areas only have some cafes and are more focused on housing people, rather than hosting storefronts. Vernal Avenue is the next spot of interest, and Green is instantly drawn to the boutique, but Red promptly drags him away, signing that surely spending their limited money on clothing would be a bad idea. Sycamore doesn't say much about the Friseur Furfrou and the Herboriste, but spends roughly ten minutes detailing the purpose of the Stone Emporium, and lets Green know that they should go there together at some point - claiming that Green having access to Mega Evolution and Mega Stones would be crucial in their research. It's exciting and he can't help it but feel pride. 

The Estival Avenue features a Lotto-ID Center and the four trainers decide to visit it the following day, claiming it's far too late to do so. Professor Sycamore then tells Green about the Lumiose Press building, telling him that they would be hired to spread news about their research paper. 

"What's this funky looking place?" Gold asks as they walk from the Magenta Plaza towards Restaurant Le Yeah. The professor stops mid-sentence and turns around, glancing over at the cafe before turning to look at Gold. The cafe itself looks very… bright and red. A part of him thinks he's read something about it, then he notices the sign up top. 

"It's the Lysandre Cafe." The professor's voice grows more subdued than it has been the whole afternoon. "Have you all heard about the owner?" Green and Red are the only ones to nod. When did Red find out about Lysandre? "To summarise, he's kind of a criminal. He is working on making up on all the wrong he had done to the region, so they let the cafe stay open. The owner, Lysandre, that is, lives in an apartment just above." His gaze flickers up to the windows, and Green swears he saw something flicker in the professor's gaze. "I can tell you more about it some other time, as I'm truly starving right now." The professor sounds a lot more cheerful now, and they decide to keep walking. 

"Do you believe everyone deserves redemption? Or a chance to be forgiven?" Silver speaks up after a moment of silence, the questions clearly being something he had thought about, which, in all honesty, kind of makes sense. A villain being given a chance to redeem himself. Is he thinking of his father?

"Yes and no. While they may not deserve forgiveness if they did something truly atrocious, I do believe people can change. Also, while it doesn't excuse their actions, I don't think many sane people act on villainous thoughts. I mean, haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to knock over a store display? Or wondered if you could get away with theft? No matter how bad the thought, they don't determine whether you're a good or a bad person. What determines that is whether you act on such thoughts." The conversation is far too serious, and all of them seem to realize that. "To summarise, without getting too deep, any person should have the chance to redeem themselves if they're willing to change, as no one is inherently evil. However, them being willing to change doesn't mean you need to forgive them. In fact, I have spoken to Lysandre on a few occasions, and we are on relatively friendly terms, yet he is fully aware that I will never forgive him for the suffering he caused to the whole region."

"I see." Silver seems to think for a while longer. "Could we… talk privately one day? I wish to know more about your experience with… with still being on friendly terms with Lysandre." The look Gold gives him is full of shock and awe. Perhaps the professor's words gave him some things to think about. Green did always think that Silver had a very warped view when it came to good and evil, which did change, as he learned to accept the forgiveness people gave him for his actions. There must be more that Gold knows, but he's not about to pry into their private business. 

The rest of the journey, however short, is spent with some mindless chatter. Gold and Silver are talking in hushed tones amongst themselves, Red signs about various places in Kalos he's heard about, and Green and the professor discuss those places. The restaurant doesn't appear too high-end, but the professor does let them know that the other two more expensive restaurants require a dress code. The professor pays upfront, and they are led to a table, given price-free menus. The food tastes amazing, and all of them barely manage their desserts, with only Gold managing to eat all of his, then finishing Silver's leftovers. Afterwards, the professor walks them back to the hotel, then asks Green to stay back for a moment. Silver and Gold say their goodbyes straight away, while Red hesitates, before telling Green he will be waiting for him in the foyer. 

"How are you liking Kalos so far?" The professor leads him away from the entryway, and leans back against the wall, staring out at the city. Green follows to do the same, simply watching as people pass by, with a person sending a curious glance their way every now and then. 

"I think it's a beautiful region, but I have only seen one city so far and some fleeting scenery we passed by on the train." So far, Kalos has lived up to his expectations. From what he has seen throughout their tour, it is a much more acceptant city. Back in Kanto and Johto, it would be uncommon to see couples of the same sex, and even Gold and Silver had some hard times havig the public truly accept their relationship for what it was. Gold told him that if they were to get married, they would leave to a different region to do it, wanting a more accepting environment around them. It wasn't like Kanto or Johto didn't accept it - no. However, there were plenty of people who looked down upon it. They only have been going through that change in the past 10 years, so Green really couldn't blame them for being a little slow. Here in Kalos, however, there were various couples going around. He's sure he even saw three people being a couple, which surprised him to see, especially since his birthplace was very much set on monogamy. "It's also very accepting." 

"Yes. I heard Kanto isn't as open about it all. Is that why you and Red came over?" Ah. Right. He never came clean about that. 

"Actually, Red and I aren't a thing. We're not a couple, that is. Our closeness attributes more to us being childhood friends and rivals, really." The professor glances at him and smiles.

"I assume you want the two of you to be a thing, though?" If the ground would swallow him up whole, he would definitely take the opportunity. The chuckle from the professor is enough to tell Green he had turned bright red at that. "I remember being your age and having the same feelings. They're wonderful, while also somewhat painful."

"Yes. Especially since I've been hopelessly pining for the past 10 years." There's a bitter tone in his voice, not aimed at anything but himself. "Even him living on an icy mountain didn't help me move on." 

"Perhaps Kalos will provide the right opportunity for you then. Either to confess or to move on, whichever your heart desires more." They stand in silence for a few moments, the professor letting his words sink in. Right. Green is going to be in Kalos for a long time, and, with the city as accepting as it is, surely he could find someone to help him move on. "Moving onto a slightly less serious topic, I'm free all day tomorrow, so I was wondering if you'd like to come over to the lab and start looking into possible angles for our research? I will be busy for a few days after that, but then I booked some time off to travel and study. My assistants will handle all the rest of the work." The professor already told him about the few locations that would be good for visiting to conduct their research. "I can also give you a Pokemon that can mega evolve to have by your side. Some Kantonian starter." 

The two spend a few more minutes talking, discussing their plans, with the professor suggesting some places for Green to visit while he waits for their journey to begin. Before they part, the professor hands Green a small stone, explaining that it's a mega stone, and that the Stone Emporium will be able to fit it into any item he may wish to use to store it. Some use the bracelets, some use pendants, and there are some people who have them on rings, or even as a brooch. When Green enters the hotel, he spots a grumpy looking Red, with Pikachu sitting on top of his hat, seemingly glaring at him. "Sorry. We got caught up talking about the research paper." Partly true. "Come on. I"ve got an early morning tomorrow and a day full of research to do, so let's go. We can play some games you bought, yeah?" Red nods and that appears to please Pikachu enough to stop glaring. 

The rest of the night is spent in peace, with Gold and Silver interrupting it to play some games with them, and to make plans with Red for the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is from Gold's perspective and Lysandre will make an appearance.  
> Also Red being a lil jealous  
> :)  
> I might start posting lil updates on twitter (warofaheart) for writing as well?? maybe??


	6. I was hanging on to every word you said

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gold hangs out with his friends. He's so done with Red and Green pining for each other. He also manages to somehow embarrass himself in front of an ex-criminal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gold is a mood in this tb

Gold considered himself to be a patient person. Other people, other than Silver, thought the opposite. They always told him there was no way he could be patient when he was constantly moving about and was always full of energy. How that affected his patience made no sense, but there was no way arguing would let them see. He waited for 3 hours as an 8 year old in order to see DJ Mary pass by, even though he had many other, and better, things to do - such as going on adventures around town with his pokemon family. When he met Silver, he did chase after the other boy, but he doesn't think he rushed into it. Sure, he lied to the police to catch him himself, but that was determination, not a lack of patience. When Silver wanted to take things slow and they didn't even hold hands for the first month of their relationship, he was patient too. Even his proposal was put on hold just to make sure everything went fine. Okay, maybe he was patient with Silver a lot but he was also patient with his friends.

So yeah, he considered himself to be a patient person. Except for now. "Trust me, Green was not, in fact, flirting with professor Sycamore." He repeats this for the 3rd time now. Green had pined after Red for more than 9 years, and as it turns out, Red had done the same for roughly the same amount of time. At least that's what the current jealousy points to. Green left early in the morning, letting them know he would message them when he would be done at the lab, but also let them know that he could potentially be gone for a whole day. Of course, Red wanted to tag along but Green told him that there would be no point, as he would most likely end up bored of the conversation between him and the professor. Before Red could argue, which he clearly wanted to do, Gold interrupted and told him to just shut up and go with him and Silver.

They checked out the Lumiose Gym, got another drink from the juice shop, and were now sitting in a cafe while waiting for Silver to finish up at the hairdressers. He claimed he wanted to get a trim and this was probably the only chance he would get before Gold dragged him all around the region. It was a quiet little cafe and after roughly 20 minutes of them both messing around with the Holocasters, Red finally motions for Gold to look over before signing his question. Asking whether Green was flirting with the professor. 

**Are you sure?** Red signed once again before taking a sip of his coffee. He didn't think he was a coffee person - that seemed more like a Green thing. By the faces he kept pulling, he probably didn't actually like coffee. 

"Yep. The professor isn't bad on the eye, but Green isn't one to just casually flirt with anyone." As far as he knows, he only flirts occasionally, when there is a need. It's not something he plans on telling Red, especially since it's not like Green is ever genuine about it. "How come you're so bothered by that? You hopin' to catch the professor's interest yourself?" Gold knows that is the exact opposite of why. Anyone with two eyes and even a single brain cell would be able to see that Red had a thing for Green. Well, except for Green, who was oblivious to all of Red's attempts. He's out and about in a social setting because Green asked him. If that's not true love, he's probably gonna question everything else in life too. 

**No.** **The professor is handsome by social standard, but I have no interest in him.** Red signs quickly then hesitates for a moment. **I'm just** a pause **concerned for Green.** Technically a lie. Is Red oblivious to his own feelings?

"Don't worry. Greenie is capable of taking care of himself!" For the first time since meeting him, he genuinely wonders if Red is aware of his own feelings. Technically, he knows he shouldn't be interfering with Green's love life, but they're still only hopelessly pining and making no steps forward. "Trust me, Green is totally different when he flirts." Red leans closer. "Ages ago, me and Silver wanted to go on a date to this fancy place in Kanto but we couldn't get in. They were fully reserved for at least another 4 months. Green told us not to worry, then flirted with the manager and got us the reservation. As soon as our date was over, Green told the woman he wasn't interested enough to try a second date." Definitive lie. Well, Green did all of that, except there was no first date. He claimed to be too busy for a first date then proceeded to tell the woman that they were leading two very different lives, so there was no chance of them ever working out. 

**Oh. Is Green straight then?** That threw him off. He would ask Red if he lived under a rock, but no. He lived on a giant one. A very cold and giant rock for 9 years. 

"I think that's something you should be asking him, not me." Red nods and Gold honestly wonders how Red could be so blind. From what he was told, he stayed in Green's apartment for a while, and that guy had a giant bisexual flag on his living room wall. He also had pictures from pride in Hoenn they all attended. It was a short but awesome trip - not like he remembers much, other than Silver. "Do you…" he starts then pauses, wondering if that's something he should be asking. "Do you like Green, by any chance?" Red pauses. No, more like freezes. 

**Do not tell him.**

"So that's a yes?" When Red nods, Gold almost sighs in relief. At least that's one obstacle out of the way. The next is letting both idiots know that their feelings are mutual, hopefully by them confessing. Before he can find out more, someone sits in the seat beside him. Silver. "Ah, hey!" He greets and kisses his cheek, smiling when the other blushes. 

"Hey yourself. What do you think?" Silver asks as he fiddles with the ends of his hair. It's a little shorter than his usual, but looks good all the same. 

"Looks lovely. I ordered for you when you told me you were done." Silver smiles at him and he almost melts instantly. They've been together for 6 years and he still finds himself falling deeper in love. Which reminds him that the two really need to take some time to talk everything out. He's not sure what Green did, but Silver did apologise for being short with him at the end and after their trip to Sinnoh. He explained why he was acting this way, but refused to talk much about it, so they moved on. However, Gold didn't think that should be the end of the conversation. From time to time, he found that some quiet moments between them were tense, as if both wanted to say something but didn't have the courage to speak up - at least that's what he felt. Then again, what if he was imagining things? Yet his brain kept telling him that Silver was more upset about it all than he was letting on, and Gold was upsetting him even more. 

One thing was for certain, he couldn't propose until everything between them was in the clear. His thoughts are brought back to the present when Silver's order arrives. Silver and Red are chatting, Gold barely pays attention but he hears enough to know it's something lighthearted, nothing like the thoughts swirling in his head. "I'm getting lost in my thoughts, guys. Once we're done can we walk around a bit? Think some fresh air will help." One thing he's certain of is that not letting his friends know would just worry them. At least this way they can expect him to be quiet. 

"Are you okay?" Silver turns to him, almost fully facing him, which seems like quite the feat considering they're sat next to each other. It must not be very comfortable. The one thing that always drew Gold to Silver was his honesty. Okay, yeah, he used to be dishonest, lying his way through many situations and stealing, but he was always brutally honest any other time. When they started dating, he would always straight up tell Gold when something was bothering him. Well, he tried to. Sometimes he simply didn't know why certain things bothered him, and he often got upset for a while before approaching Gold with the problem. Even now, he stopped a conversation to see if Gold was okay, because he wanted to show him he cared. And also because he had told Gold multiple times that he sucked at hiding how he felt. 

"Yes and no? I'm fine, yeah, but my thoughts are kind of going in all directions so I need some air to sort it all out." Gold, on the other hand, thought that a white lie would hurt less than the truth. There was no way he could tell Silver that he was overthinking their little argument until he had it all figured out in his head. He couldn't approach Silver with it until he knew he wouldn't go on the defensive, or even the opposite. 

"Okay. Red wants to check out the lottery place, so we can go there, check out the boutique, PR Video Studio and then walk around and find some other place to eat at, okay?" Gold nods and stretches out in his seat, his thoughts still drifting. He really should have slept more last night. The thought always seemed to be uncontrollable when he was running low on sleep, so he was forced to fix his sleeping schedule. Sharing a bed with Silver also helped as Silver needed more sleep at first as he would wake up from nightmares more often than not. Silver sends him a worried glance when he slightly shakes his head to put his thoughts back on track. 

They leave pretty soon after Silver is done, and all grab some tea for their way around the city. At the lottery place, Red finds out they just need to get a number that matches their pokemon’s identification number. He messages Green about it, possibly so they can go together at some point, but the other doesn’t reply until 2 hours later. By then, Red had already gone through all the jackets at the boutique and settled on one to give to Green - claiming it wasn't a gift, but only a way to keep him away from the boutique. While the reasoning was good, Gold didn't quite believe the item still wouldn't be considered a gift. If their rivalry dynamic was anything like his with Silver's, the two would end up exchanging gifts until they were forced to stop by outside forces. 

The PR Video Studio gave him time to distract himself from his own thoughts, which he had mostly managed to sort out through, and to simply relax and mess about with his friends. He took the opportunity to have some make up applied and definitely went over the top with some of the outfits they had on offer. They spent about 3 hours there, having saved some of their favourites onto their Holocasters. He let Green know that they should return once he's not busy. 

-Gold-

Yo we need to go to the pr studio thing togethet as a 4. Reds got some videos to show yoh once youre done at the lab

Speaking of which

What time are you gonna be done

Well be heading around thinking of a place to eat at

-Green-

Sorry. Eat without me. Tell Red that I wasn't ignoring him but I was training with a new partner so I didn't want my Holocaster on me just in case something happened. 

Also tell him to stop worrying.

Oh and can you tell him I'll be back for the evening? I wanted to show him the new pokemon I got.

-Gold-

You can just message him that

You know that right???

Hes basically glancing at the wrist watch whatever thingy every 30 minutes

I had to turn off the news feature for him cause then he was looking every 5 mins

-Green-

Oh. Oh yeah. 

Also the professor said that if you guys are interested, you can help with the fieldwork for the research paper.

-Gold-

No.

I'm here on a holiday, with possibly few battles. No.

-Green-

The research includes battling with Mega Evolved pokemon.

-Gold-

Nvm im in

Ill ask Silv and Red

They said sure

But we wanna know what itll include before commiting

-Green-

You can come by the lab after having eaten.

That's what the professor said.

He said he ordered food in from a place he knows but it won't be enough for 5 people.

Otherwise he'd be more than happy to invite you all in. But it seems unfair to make some people wait longer for their food. 

Gold is already typing out his response when he hears Silver call out to him only a moment before he bumps into someone. "Shoot. Sorry!" Breathing a sigh of relief at not having dropped the Holocaster, he looks up at the person to give a proper apology. "Holy shit you're tall." Is what he says instead, so he tries again. "HOLY SHIT you're Lysandre!" 

"What he means to say is 'sorry for bumping into you.'" Silver saves him from absolute mortification. Sending a grateful glance at him, he quickly turns back to look at the man, who seems to be in a bit of a shock. Was he that loud? 

"The professor told us about you. Professor Sycamore, that is. He didn't say much, not really. It's apparently a long topic for another day. Well, we know you apparently did something wrong but we don't know what. Well, Red apparently knows." He motions to his friend and the man glances over at him before staring at Gold. Well, he's definitely an intimidating person. Like a… like a…. "Honestly, I just know you run that funky looking place. The cafe. Lysandre Cafe. Kind of in your name haha." Did… did he just say 'haha' out loud? 

"Yet again, I think he just meant to say that we heard about you from the professor, so there is no need to be alarmed." Gold briefly wonders how the two can stay so calm, then remembers that his emotions have been a little all over the place today. "Sorry for interrupting your… walk?" 

"Yes. I was just walking my Pyroar around. She likes to stretch her legs around the city. And no need to apologise. I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking." Any other day, he believes he would have been able to ask some sensible question, or even bid the man a farawell. On a good day, he could ask about the cafe, having been interested, then maybe casually ask about why he was a criminal. Well, in a nicer way. However, today was not that day, and he decided that if he didn't die of embarrassment now, it would never happen. 

"A Pyroar!" He calls out and points to the man. "That's what you remind me of!" There is silence, in which Gold feels a part of his soul die. Then he hears Silver suppress a laugh, but it clearly doesn't work, and soon he's _laughing._ That's not even the worst part! Red is also silently giggling to himself. Okay, no, the worst part is that the man looks at him with those deadly eyes before grinning and letting out a chuckle. 

"Yeah, I've been told that by Augu- Professor Sycamore on many occasions. I like your honesty, kid." 

"Sorry, I'm not usually… like this." He kind of vaguely waves his hand, as if that would help. It's definitely a habit he picked up from Green. "Well, we need to go find some food before we see the professor, so we'll leave you be." Smiling, he starts to turn to his friends, either to ask them where to go next, or to tell them to never let him speak again. 

"If you want, you can come to my cafe. I was about to start making food for myself, and I can spare Sycamore the effort and tell you guys what happened, in my own words." If he was alone, Gold would jump at the opportunity. His curiosity could be a gift or a curse, depending on the situation. Silver and Red simply shrug when he looks back at them, clearly not bothered. So they agree. The walk to the cafe is somewhat quiet, only filled with pointless chatter, with Lysandre asking them if they liked Kalos, and asking what their next destination after Lumiose City would be. He didn't seem surprised at the fact that the professor was conducting a research paper with someone from Kanto. 

It's only after they have eaten that they get to the more serious conversation. Lysandre is putting the dishes away, while they remain seated at the table. Gold offered help but was waved away. The interior of the cafe is just as red, if not more so, than the exterior. The plates and utensils are probably the most basic thing, and even then, they have some flame patterns on the white background. There is no one else but them in the cafe, and when Silver asked about it, Lysandre simply told them business was slow these days. "So, what do you all actually know?" Despite having been treated with nothing but kindness, Gold still finds Lysandre to be an intimidating man. 

"Not too much. Well, I know Red knows something more since he did some reading on Kalos, but Gold and I just know that you're apparently deemed a criminal."

 **I do not know the exact details, but I do know you threatened the safety of the region somehow.** Red signs quite quickly and Lysandre slowly nods. 

"Well, yeah. I did that. I tried to unleash an ultimate weapon in order to purge the region from those who weren't part of Team Flare, which was most people, actually. The pokemon of destruction would have taken away all life-force from the region, then possibly all of earth if it hadn't been stopped." The words are casual. As if you just told your friend you bought them a new jacket. Or as if you had told your roommate that you bought some of their favourite snacks. Silver is the first to break the silence that threatens to loom over them. 

"I know a guy who tried something similar, actually." Ah, Cyrus. He did try to remake the world, which did include getting rid of the current one. He was part of the dinner they attended in Sinnoh. Cynthia told them that Cyrus was trying to do better in the world, especially after it was figured out that Cyrus simply had some mental health issues. After claiming he would have been happy to be shut away with Giratina, those problems were confirmed. 

"Oh yeah?" 

"This isn't an afternoon tea topic most people talk about." Gold interrupts, because the casual tone feels far too wrong to continue. "How come you weren't just, I don't know, shut in a prison?" Even he knows that was a little too harsh. Okay, judging by Silver's judgmental face, it was very harsh. 

"When the plan backfired, I stayed with the weapon, hoping I could atone for my crimes with my death. I was rescued and put in a hospital due to my injuries, and after some therapy, I realised I was wrong. I'm still surveilled, and I can't leave the city, but as long as I'm trying to be a better person, they think I should be given a chance." It's a very nonchalant answer. Silver appears deep in thought, few possibilities running through his mind. Red calmly sips at his drink. 

"Well," Gold starts in a somewhat cheery tone, "good to know you have no plans of murder." He claps his hands together for emphasis, even though the words are mildly sarcastic. For the first time, Lysandre looks mildly uncomfortable. 

"Sycamore made sure that I had stricts regulations. There are cameras in my cafe and apartment, with the bathroom being the only place of privacy. If I'm not with my supervising officer, such as now, I have a voice recording app turned on my Holocaster. Of course, I can ask for privacy, but I need a good case for wanting it. Any wrong move and I'm put on trial. Any crime, no matter how small, and I'm being sent to prison for life." The words make the whole room feel uncomfortable. They do, however, give him some peace of mind. 

"What made you change from villainous to good?" It's Silver who asks the question. "Ah, sorry. I don't want to turn this into an interrogation." 

"Don't worry about it. You're talking to someone who tried to end the world. Of course there's gonna be some questions. I'm not offended by that, especially since this kid's fighting spirit seems to match the one who stopped me." Lysandre motions to Gold, who in turns feels cold dread fill him. "She's most likely gonna end up going for the championship as well, once she's done travelling around with her friends." It's Red who glances at him and raises a questioning brow, so Gold puts on his best fake smile and just shrugs. It doesn't seem like Lysandre will be focusing on the girl much. "Anyway," he says and Gold releases a breath he didn't know he was holding, "it wasn't anything amazing that changed my mind. I wanted the best for the world and Pokemon. A world where no one would do any bad. In the past, I've witnessed trainers mistreat their pokemon and it must have affected me a lot more than I thought. I did, for a long time, think that only a select few should have the chance to live in a perfect world. It was the brat that taught me that perfect doesn't always mean good. After talking with some people about it, my views changed enough to make me realise the error of my ways. I still want to change the world for a better place, but I can do that without mass murder." The conversation slowly starts to drop off after that. Lysandre is surprised to learn that Red took down Giovanni at a very young age, and mentions having met the man before. Apparently he didn't know that Giovanni was also trying to change. The word somehow leaves a bitter feeling in Gold. 

Before they leave the cafe, he hands them some muffins, saying he made too many the day before and they would go bad if no one ate them. They decided that another visit wouldn't hurt, especially since the food was really good. The overall mood was calm. "Are you doing any better than before?" Silver asks him as they're waiting for the professor to come down and give them access to the lab where he and Green are currently working. 

"Oh. That. Yeah. Kind of. My thoughts aren't all over the place now so I'm feeling better." And he did. He may not have reached any sort of outcome with his thoughts, but at least he stopped overthinking it all. "Speaking of which, let's spend the night together. I'm sure after a whole day of not seeing each other, those two lovebirds will want to spend some time alone." Saying 'I wanna talk later' was never a good idea. He would breach the topic tonight. Talk about what had happened in Sinnoh. Tomorrow they can even go on a proper date, especially since he looked up the best restaurant and decided the two deserved a little treat. 

"Sure. Sounds good." In a rare display of affection, Silver quickly kisses his cheek before scrolling through the news section on his Holocaster.

"It's good to see you all again." Professor Sycamore greets them all as he approaches. "I will set up some visitor passes for you all on your Holocasters later, so that you can all visit whenever, without having to worry about being stopped." The way to the lab is somewhat quiet, with the professor simply asking them if they had enjoyed their day out. "We'll need to go over to the training lab. I left Green in there to practice some more with his partner Pokemon." They're led to a different room than last time, just opposite the professor's office. The room is pretty basic, with an area for rest, and an area with some dummies set up for pokemon to practice on. Green is sitting in the rest area, a Bulbasaur by his side. The Bulbasaur is eating some snacks, and Green is reading through a book. He looks up as they enter. 

"Hey guys." Before anyone can do anything else, Red shoves the bag he was holding into Gold's hands and rushes over. At first, they all seem to think he's heading towards Green, but then he crouches by the Bulbasaur. The Pokemon in question seems to instantly take a liking to Red, and Gold can already tell that Green definitely told the Pokemon about him. “This is my partner pokemon for Mega Evolution. We pretty much spent the day hanging out together and training, so hopefully the lil guy will be evolving soon.” Bulbasaur looks almost proud at that comment, and Gold really has to wonder just how alike Green and his new Pokemon are. The rest of the afternoon is spent talking about the research, and what sort of pokemon they would like to use for Mega Evolution. Red decides to go for Absol, Gold goes for Gallade, and Silver goes for Houndoom. They’re told that the professor will get the Pokemon for them the next day, as he needs to access them from one of his boxes. They leave soon after, and the rest of the night isn’t as dreadful as Gold had expected. He’s thankful that him and Silver can finally move on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week's chapter is a little shorter, as I just wanted to mostly wrap up the the events in Lumiose City. There will probably only be a few more chapters based around Kalos


	7. I want you to be happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red and Green hang out, talk about some stuff  
> also the parade happens and Serena briefly meets the 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i love Serena. shame that this is probably the only time i will write for her

Red won a masterball. Green still isn't sure how he managed that, but Red literally just won a masterball. He doesn't even look phased about it, just mildly happy about winning. He looked happier when Green won Moomoo milk. Red pockets the ball and looks over at Green, giving him a small smile. Silver and Gold decided they were going out for a date day, and that Green had a lot of catching up to do in exploring. "Stone Emporium next." He announces and Red nods, before following along. They went in the morning to drop off Red's request for a Mega Evolution item. He wanted a pendant to match Green's. Green had kept his item a secret, telling him he would find out once they got it. The walk over is a little quiet, somewhat uncomfortable, which is already unusual. He knows Red wants to say something, but is simply hesitating. His fingers fidget and Green resists the temptation to hold them. They receive the items, and Red stares when Green receives an earring. It’s big enough for others to notice what it is, yet small enough to not be overly noticeable, and to remain fashionable. “What do you think?” He asks, somewhat self-consciously. The piercing wasn’t new, as he had gotten it done back in Kanto, just 2 years prior. He always made sure to wear something most of the time to avoid it closing up, but he rarely wore it out in public. Gold and Silver knew he had it pierced, but Red hadn’t had a chance to find out yet. The feeling of Red staring doesn't help, and he feels a small blush dusting his cheeks. 

"Good." The other mutters, only loud enough for Green to hear. The fact that Red thinks it looks good makes a grin spread on his face and he thanks the people before the two of them leave. Perhaps, rather than trying to move on from his feelings, he should attempt to pursue. Red had never shown interest in anyone, so there is no way for him to know if he would be interested in romance in the first place. However, there is no way he can give up without even trying. They're in Kalos, a region that's accepting, and he cannot let this chance pass by. Even if Red doesn't feel the same, deep down Green knows that they would be able to move past it all. Together, as friends. His rival was understanding of feelings, as he readily forgave him for all the years he spent acting out, due to jealousy. He claimed it was a natural reaction,and he's glad Green approached him with an apology, otherwise he wouldn't have forgiven him for the actions. It was the want to be a better person that made Red forgive. Perhaps it was why there was never any hatred directed at Giovanni. Yes, the man had terrified them when they were younger, but Red told him that if Giovanni attempted to redeem himself, and apologised to him, he wouldn't have any hard feelings. There wouldn't be any forgiveness, but he would learn to move past, if only for the sake of Silver. 

"You okay?" Red's voice cuts through his thoughts. 

"Yeah. Sorry 'bout that. I got caught up in a thought." Red raises a brow but Green just shakes his head. "Nah, nothing important. Just," he pauses, gathering his thoughts, "I just realised how much I like this place. We haven't been here long, yet the sense of belonging is starting to creep up on me. I wouldn't be opposed to living here in some distant future." Leaving Kanto wasn't something he wanted to do, but he felt like being there held him back. His potential was limited, at least up until this point. He loves his gym and he loves the people he can rely on there. Moving to Kalos wasn't out of the question, but leaving behind the people he cares about felt wrong, on many levels. The Holocaster beeps, and both Red and Green seem surprised. They both got a message. 

-Augustine-

Sorry to interrupt you two, but I was simply wondering if you would be interested in attending a parade before our leave. Serena had just informed me that she would be attempting the Elite Four Challenge, and she was happy to allow me to plan a parade in case she wins. I can discuss the details later, but please do think about attending. I will be contacting Silver and Gold at a later time, as I know they must be busy at the moment. 

-Green-

I would be happy to attend

It sounds like fun

-Red-

Count me in.

-Augustine- 

Fantastic! I will hear whether she has beat the challenge in a few hours, so if the parade is going to happen, I will message you all the details!

The two spend the next few hours simply exploring, taking their time in each place. It's relaxing, and Green has to admit that he enjoys relaxing a lot more than working. It wasn't that he disliked his work, but the few years have caused a lot of stress, especially with his grandfather's constant critique. Some days, he found himself hating doing research, yet he knew he couldn't stop. It was far too late to back out. On such days, he would find himself at the gym for longer hours than necessary, discussing all potential topics of importance with his trainers. If that didn't take long, he would call Lance, always with suggestions on how to improve his gym, claiming he wanted some feedback, knowing that Lance would always be patient to discuss the topic for as long as he had time. At the end of the day, he would still do his research, and barely get any sleep, if only because he refused to rest until the guilt at leaving the work had disappeared. 

**Would you move here if you were given the opportunity?** Red startles him with the question. Breaching a topic from a few hours ago wasn't unusual, but it meant it had stayed on his friend's mind all that time. 

"Maybe? I would have to leave a lot behind. Maybe one day, when I would feel ready. Why do you ask?" All he receives in response is a shrug. With that, it seems the topic is over, yet, as they stroll around the city, he sees Red glancing up at where the flats are located. Has he considered moving here? The air around them seems a little stifled, and Green decides that if Red can breach a topic after a few hours, he can do the same after only a few minutes. "Would you move here?" 

**Yes.** There's a pause, both in conversation and the walk. He looks around, then back at Green. **Kanto no longer feels like home. Coming here took a heavy weight off my shoulders. Off everyone's shoulders. Gold and Silver look more at ease, which says a lot, considering I barely know them.** He taps his fingers against the back of his arm, clearly thinking. It's one of the signs Green learned about Red. He always does it when he wants to continue speaking, but needs a moment to think. **You also look a lot more happy, carefree. The trip was an easy escape from everything back home, and we all took it, deciding that whatever was back in Kanto had to be left behind. Yes, I would move here. Yet, I do not think I would be able to leave you behind.** He begins walking once more, not waiting for Green to answer, yet he also thinks he doesn't have an answer that weighs as much as Red's words. He lets himself think over the words, probably overthinking it far too much, but deciding to indulge in such thoughts. 

Kanto no longer felt like home. That’s something he’s not sure how to feel about. In a sense, the people he knows make it home for him, yet isn’t there a saying that ‘home is where the heart is’? Would it hurt to move away from the ones he loves, when he knows he could visit them whenever he wanted to, especially with how advanced things were becoming? The train between Galar and Kalos was surely going to broaden its horizons, so it isn’t impossible for there to be a faster journey between Kalos and Kanto. Wouldn’t it feel like running from responsibility though? The gym, the papers, and… that was it, wasn’t it? The gym was a good place, a comforting place - especially as a job that he was passionate about. However, wouldn’t it be better for him to move past it, perhaps find something here that would allow him to have such creative freedom? Red was correct in stating that he looked more happy here than in Kanto. He _felt_ more happy. That much was obvious. 

The weight that they all carry. Red mentioned it. Isn’t moving the same as running away from it all? Yes, Red was justified, he never wanted fame and glory - the two things people only ever gave to him. Even back when they were children, he spoke of wanting a quiet life, one where he could be happy. The nine year escape was clear evidence that the weight he bore was something he couldn’t handle - didn’t want to handle. With time, and possibly help, he might have been able to handle it all, but that wasn't something he wanted, was it? Gold carried the weight of living in someone else’s shadow. Soon after defeating Team Rocket, he became this ‘successor’ for Red, someone who would show the same, if not greater, power, than Red - an undefeatable champion. The league was his dream, but that changed when it became expected - when the dream became a responsibility. Even now, he couldn’t escape from constant comparisons and questions - the interview was clear evidence of that. Did he too, want to live a peaceful life? Would Kalos provide that, or would he find some other region that called out to him, the same way Kalos calls out to Red? Would Silver follow Gold, or would he not? Surely, the two would stick together, but Silver still wanted to beat the league, and eventually Red - a way to prove himself to the public. A thief. Giovanni’s son. Those were the only things people associated him with until Gold spoke up - argued - fought - for Silver’s chains to his past to be broken. Would Silver escape after beating the league too? 

**You’re overthinking things again.** The tug on his sleeve is almost begging him to stop - to snap out of this endless thought process. 

“I am. Sorry.” Red shakes his head. ‘ _You have nothing to apologise for._ ’ True. “I know. It’s a hard habit to break.” 

**Don’t overthink what I said. Give it some thought, but don’t let it consume you. Prioritise your happiness than what others may expect for you. No matter what you choose, others have no right to criticise your decision.** Had Red met some wise old monk up on that mountain? Or has this been something he taught himself after being gone for years? Didn't he prioritise his own happiness by running away? Was it running away? He never wanted the responsibility that was shoved onto him. He only chased what he wanted - peace and quiet. Even now, Red ignored anything that linked back to his time as champion. Someone had recognised him this morning, and he simply told them that they must be mistaken, as he was definitely no champion. At the time, Green had only managed to stifle a laugh at the person's dumbfounded expression while Red proceeded to order his drink, but he did notice that the other became a little tense at being found. 

"Ah, maybe one day I'll move here." Would Red follow? Hopefully. 

The rest of the day is spent peacefully, and the professor lets them know that there will be a big parade, just a day before they are to leave for their research. Red decided he wanted to go, but made it clear he would stick by Green for the majority of it. Silver and Gold messaged them to let them know that they would be attending to - deciding that attending such festivities were not missable. Afterwards, those two would be travelling the region at their own pace. "Is he proposing?" Red asks once they sit down to eat. They decided on a quaint little cafe, deciding they could go somewhere more expensive before the big parade. It was going to start on Friday at 5pm. Of course, there would be food and drinks for the crowd to enjoy, and the professor had asked them if the kanto and johto duos would be willing to participate in show battles. As it was a good chance to train up their pokemon, they also agreed. 

"Gold?" When Red nods, he hums in response, giving him time to really think about it. "Maybe? He told me he needed to speak to Silver about some stuff before he went through with it. They look at ease so I think they talked through whatever they needed." From what Gold him, the proposal would take place at the sundial in Anistar City. There was a whole elaborate plan for it, including getting there when the light hits the sundial just right. Green is half tempted to ask the professor to go there too, just so he and Red can witness and record it. Actually, he should ask. "Would you want to see it? We can probably move plans ahead a little to be there at the same time. We can record them and all." Red doesn't even think before he nods. 

**Of course you would want to do so. You are a hopeless romantic.** It's true. He's not quite sure why Red knows so, as he tried to keep that a secret from Red. Gold must have told him then. Traitor. 

"What can I say? Such things are amazing. I think that's partly why I like this place so much. Romance feels more out in the open. There's a bunch of things that couples can enjoy together, and it honestly feels like the date spots are limitless. Even in Lumiose City, there's so many good things to do.” Green wonders if one day he could take Red out for a date, then decides it’s not something he should be focusing on. If there comes a time, he will be happy, but he hasn’t even considered how he would confess. Thinking of potential dates was going way too far ahead. Enjoying these moments with Red are enough. 

The parade is a sight to behold. The professor had told him that they reserved a pretty large area, yet Green had never imagined just how large the event would be. When Red had become champion, there was a large group of reporters but only a scarce amount of people that were there to celebrate. This feels excessive, but Serena looks to be thriving on it. She greets each person who stops her and she gives short pep talks to the kids who claim they aspire to be like her. However, that only happens when she's walking around, with the sole purpose of greeting people. When she's discussing something with the professor, people leave them alone. Some might take a picture but no one calls out. Even when she only shares a few words with her friends, she's given space. It's amazing. She's amazing. 

**She's amazing.** Red signs and Green wonders if the other had read his mind, or simply saw the awe that must be evident on his face. The two of them, along with Gold and Silver are in a small VIP area, where people actually respect their boundaries. No one has yet to try sneaking past. They had already done their battles for the grand opening of the parade. Could it even be called that? It felt like a festival, perhaps. There is a sudden lack of noise, or at least the noise level has significantly died down, as it's barely noticeable. Green looks over, and sees a tall man standing in front of Serena, challenging her. Who is that? 

Their battle is breathtaking. Not a single move out of place, and each one has impeccable instincts. Most of all, they look like they're having fun. By the end of it, the man is standing there, with a peaceful look on his face, while Serena stands before him, victorious, flushed, and grinning. No wonder the region had been drawn to her. No wonder each news tabloid featured her, and you couldn't talk about Kalos, without also talking about her. She was their saviour, she was their hero. The man's identity is revealed, and Green finds newfound respect for Serena. How can she stand there, happy about beating such a famous man? Doesn't it feel like too much? What is the difference between her and… Red? Red who escaped. 

"Green. It's a pleasure to properly meet you." Said girl greets him as soon as she steps off the stage and approaches their table. "You must be Red, his friend." She smiles at Red then looks over at Gold and Silver. "And you two are Gold and Silver, correct?" When they nod, she grins and takes a seat at the table. "I heard so much about all of you!" Somehow, none of them feel… happy. If anything, it almost feels tense. "Green, researcher extraordinaire, working with our professor to unravel further mysteries of Mega Evolution. Red, ex-champion of Kanto, selectively mute, and with clear passion when it comes to battle but also his friends, if this trip is anything to go by. Gold, studying under professor Elm, researching the topic of evolution, as well as hatching. Silver, thriving in battles, reaching high, with hopes of beating your regional Elite Four." They all sigh in relief. "When Professor Sycamore told me your names, I simply had to find out who you all were." She smiles and shakes their hands. Her handshake is firm and definitely reflects her confidence. "I'm sure you all already know, I'm Serena! I kinda beat the league so here I am!" That's one way to downplay her achievements, but none of them appear to be in the rush to point that out. 

"Lovely to meet you." Green speaks up first, and the others follow suit. Red gives her a small nod instead of speaking or signing. "Do you have any plans after this?" She simply shrugs and looks around. 

"Well, I finished what I wanted to do. Ah, is it too early to retire?" She giggles and takes a sip of her drink. "But really, I might stay a bit longer, or I might travel. The champion title is going straight back to Diantha anyway." She waves her hand dismissively, as if it's such a simple thing. 

"How come?" Gold asks the question they all want to know. Green gave it up the title in order to travel, and then to simply focus on his gym and research. Red gave it up because he never wanted it. "Why go all this way, only to give it up within a week's time?" Serena seems to think for a moment then shrugs once again. 

"Well, the title wasn't what I was after. I just wanted to prove my strength. Not only to everyone else, but also to myself. I don't want to be some hero who saved the region, or the champion, but I want to be acknowledged for my abilities before my looks. Once everything settles, I will start my performer career." Green decided that she was strong. Not just in pokemon battles, but mentally. In order to be recognised for her abilities, she made sure the region accepted her as strong. Yes, she definitely managed to do that. All that was left was to chase after her own dreams. Could they all do it? Perhaps. 

The five of them talked for roughly 30 minutes before she excused herself, saying that she wished to spend some time with her lifelong rival. They all had eaten plenty of snacks and had a few drinks each. The festivities didn’t seem to be even nearing the end, and Green had already lost track of time. “Green? May I speak with you for a moment?” He looks up to see professor Sycamore standing there, smiling down at him. He nods and excuses himself from the table, his three friends simply continuing their conversation. 

“What’s up?” He asks as they stand a considerable distance away. 

“I just wanted to let you know that I can get you an upgrade for the Holocaster, that can record any data you save in your pokedex into a document on the Holocaster. It makes it easier to share data if we’re working in a different area. Let the others know about it too, as it may take a while before the update is ready to be implemented.” The professor smiles. It sounds like a handy tool, and he wonders how the professor managed to find such a thing. 

“I’ll let the others know. I’ll also remind them that we’re leaving at noon tomorrow.” He turns to look at the festivities, and notices that Serena is excitedly talking to her ‘rival.’ What was his name? Calem? Apparently he aided her in taking down Lysandre, but opted to give her all the credit, as she was the one who ultimately took him down. 

“What do you think of the event?” Professor Sycamore asks and Green turns to look at him, but he’s looking over at the crowd, who seems to get more excited with each passing moment. Perhaps this is the reason why Serena is so at ease with such a crowd. Even when the parade had started, the professor spoke. When it was time to announce her as the new champion, he did it. In fact, he only recalls the professor taking up responsibility for them, rather than forcing it on them. Would any of them have ended up different if they had this support? When the professor briefly glances at him, some concern visible in his eyes, he realises he never answered. 

“I enjoy it. It’s very lively, and I think I could easily get used to this.” He chuckles and looks back at the crowd. In a way, the professor reminds him of Lance. Both showing up when needed the most, and both willing to let them decide how much responsibility they wish to bear.

“It took a lot of planning, but I’m glad everyone I’ve asked so far is enjoying it.” The professor smiles then glances towards Serena and Calem. “I do hope those two get to enjoy it until the very end.” Green has no doubts that they will. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter will the last one that is fully set in Kalos.  
> After that, things are changed up for Red and Green and they will make their way to Unova alongside someone other than Silver and Gold.  
> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one!!


	8. Make me yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some pokemon research stuff then Silver and Gold being SOFT  
> thats its. thats the chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter took a while for me to get going, but then i went off on a tangent about whether mega evolution is ethical or not, and the rest just kinda appeared.
> 
> hope yall enjoy!

The first place they visit is Ambrette town. There is nothing that may give them any data about Mega Evolution, but it does have a Fossil Lab, and it certainly makes Green happy to find out more about how Kalos handles fossils. They spend half a day there, before the professor tells them to enjoy the rest of the day doing whatever they want. Of course, Gold suggested they all visit the aquarium, muttering something to Silver who simply nodded. Green was suspicious, but paid it no mind. It was a bad idea, for only 10 minutes into their trip, the Johto duo disappeared, leaving him alone with Red. He recalls the time Gold had suggested double dates, and he feels himself suddenly sigh. 

**You okay?** Red signs as he stops looking around for the Johto duo, apparently having given up on them. 

“Yeah, just annoyed that Gold wanted to have this grand trip then just abandoned us.” Red simply shrugs at that then begins walking. Taking that as a sign, Green follows behind. They spend at least 2 hours there, and by the end of it, Green wonders if this was a date, especially since he treated Red to a meal, and Red bought him a small plush of a Flabebe.

The next place they visit is Shalour City. Gold and Silver had already gone off on their own adventure, telling them that they would keep them updated on how their chosen pokemon were doing, and when they managed to mega evolve them. In Shalour City, they went to the Tower of Mastery and were greeted by Korrina, who was more than happy to train with them. All their battles had gone full out, and two days later, both Red and Green had fully evolved pokemon. All that was left was mega evolving them. 

They were currently in Laverre City, with the plan of them moving to Anistar City in two days. That would align their plans with Gold and Silver's plans. Last he heard, Gold had everything prepared, including the speech and timing. All that was left was simply going through with it. That would surely turn out well as well, for he knew the other wasn't a quitter. Professor Sycamore told them to go ahead and visit the gym, as the gym leader would be expecting them already. He had to book hotel rooms for them to stay in until tomorrow. 

That's one thing that apparently worked well with Mega Evolution research. They battled with their pokemon, going against strong trainers and hoping it would enable Mega Evolution at some point. Since they wanted to research the ethical side, they would battle using Mega Evolution, then proceed with various tests to see just how much of an effect it had on the Pokemon. They knew that in the end, Mega Evolution was enabled by the trust between Pokemon, but they wanted factual data to prove that it wasn't hurtful to the pokemon themselves. However, that wasn't the case for each Pokemon, thus the research. Red had an Absol - a pokemon that wasn't fond of Mega Evolving, yet it showed no signs of pain or discomfort. Red decided to use one because they wanted to know whether Mega Evolution was forced upon the Pokemon first, then see whether they could determine if the Pokemon behaves differently. Silver had a Houndoom, the high temperature of Mega Evolution was said to hurt the Pokemon itself, so they would be testing whether it was true, or if it happened in extreme cases. 

If the research showed signs of there being enough problems, that would lead to further research - possibly even having adjustment made to the Mega Rings, to see if they could do anything to adjust how long Mega Evolution could last. Professor Sycamore would then reach out to the Galar professor - the Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing phenomenon being powerful, but lasting only a limited amount of time. Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing was said to exist in Galar only, but perhaps if they figured out how power spots came to exist, they could begin to introduce it in other regions, replacing Mega Evolution. They hadn't even decided if Mega Evolution was unethical, but the professor was already thinking of ways to replace it - always looking ahead. 

"You must be Green and Red. Professor Sycamore told me about you two. My name is Valerie." A trainer wearing a pink, purple, and yellow Kimono approaches them as they enter the gym. She has a gentle look on her face, and a relaxed body language. 

"Yes, that's us." She curtsies at their greeting, and Green wonders if he should do the same. Red gives her a small nod. 

"Come this way. The professor already knows his way around the gym, so I'm sure he will join us shortly." She leads them through various rooms, taking the time to talk to the trainers within them too. There's something graceful about her mannerisms and body language, and he wonders whether her battle style reflects that. It doesn't take long for him to find out, as she asks to head straight into battle as soon as they reach the final battle. 1v1, first to 0 health wins. The Venusaur and Sylveon matchup seems a little unfair, but the battle is more even than he had expected. He thought it would be easier, especially since Venusaur knew a poison type move. However, the Sylveon was fast - faster than he had anticipated. As he battles, he calls out moves, passionate. As Valerie battles, she speaks out commands in a calm and collected manner. She doesn't lose her cool, even when Sylveon falls, simply recalling the Pokemon back to it's pokeball. 

"This was a truly amazing battle. I hope we can face one another again in the near future." She shakes his hand and gives a gentle smile. For a moment, it looks like she's thinking about something, then speaks up once more. "I was informed of your study, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in clothing that may help you feel closer to the pokemon." Of course, the agreement is instant, and she lets him know that she will be able to provide the clothes to him tomorrow before they leave for the next town. 

"Do clothes really help?" He can't help but ask, curious if there was perhaps a connection. Would it help? Valerie simply lifts her shoulders slightly before letting them fall. 

"It's unknown, but I do feel closer to my Pokemon when I match them. Don't you think that matching your Pokemon, may enable you to match your movements, thus honing your own instincts when it comes to battle?" Green thinks about it, and decides she has a point. Before they can discuss it further, the door to the room opens and professor Sycamore steps in. "Ah, good to see you once more." Valerie turns her attention to him straight away, so he takes that time to approach Red. 

"You're up next. You even have an advantage since you know how she battles now." Leaning against the wall, he looks at Red who just shrugs. Of course.

 **You still won against her.** It was true, but the battle was more challenging than he expected. Would it have turned out differently if they fought with six Pokemon, rather than the one? Could the result have been different if both had Mega Evolved Pokemon too? He still hadn't felt close to reaching Mega Evolution, but often he felt like he was working more in Sync with his Pokemon. Could they reach it soon? Red told him that he always felt like perhaps he could do it, yet before the feeling could be fully reached, it escaped his grasp. Did Absol not want to Mega Evolve, or was there hesitation from Red? Red hadn't spoken about it more than saying it always felt out of reach. 

Valerie and the professor talk for a few more minutes, before she turns to them and smiles. "It's your turn for battle, Red." The professor walks over to them and stands besides Green, while Red takes place on the gym floor. He sends out Absol without a word, and Valerie sends out Mawile. The biggest advantage Red has is that he doesn't call out commands, so his opponent never knows what he may do next. Valerie is still just as calm and collected as before, but he now that he can view it as an outsider, he sees the passion in her eyes, and the minuscule movements of her hands, or even the twitch of a finger when a move misses. When she calls out for Mawile to use play rough, he sees some panic flash in Red's eyes before it turns into pure determination. As he moves his arm, he steps to the side, Absol following his lead and avoiding the movement. The two begin moving in sync. When Red's left hand twitches, Absol is already dodging to the left. When Red hardens his gaze, Absol moves to attack, using a move that works the best in the situation. 

It doesn't take long, but soon enough, Green notices a light come from Red's Mega Stone. Everyone seems surprised, but then Red takes action. A few moments later, Absol is Mega Evolved. It looks determined, matching its trainer. After that, the battle doesn't drag out for too long, and Mawile goes down. When Absol's Mega Evolution ends, it looks fine, happy even. It does, however, look tired, so Red recalls it. Red himself doesn't look better, and as soon as Green approaches, he leans on him. "That was amazing, Red!" Professor Sycamore calls out, approaching them both alongside Valerie. “You unlocked Mega Evolution for you and your Absol, so we can now check to see what effect it had.”

 **It’s very exhausting. I can tell that Absol was happy, even though it was hesitant before. Mega Evolution seems to have drained a lot of our energy though. I felt us both starting to reach our limit after the 3rd turn.** That was similar to how long Dynamaxing worked, and Green wondered if it would be better to just attempt to work on figuring that out, instead of continuing work with Mega Evolution? There had already been a study done on whether Dynamaxing and Gigantamaxing was ethical, and it was found that it was - unlike Mega Evolution.

They spend the rest of the day checking over data, and giving Mega Evolution more attempts. Red manages to do it twice more, while Green still hasn't reached it quite yet. Before the leave the next day, Valerie approaches him and hands him a gift bag, telling him that it was the outfit she had designed and created. 

They arrive in Anistar City next, and by the time they settle in, it’s almost time for them to meet up with Silver and Gold. Speaking of which, Green checks his Holocaster as another message comes in. 

-Gold-

Dude im 

Freaking out

Pelase help

-Green-

Dude calm down. 

It’ll be fine

-Gold-

Wwhat if it wont

Greneie wat do i td othen

-Green-

What?

-Gold-

Sorry. Im just freaking out cause im scared

I know itll be fine but im still worrying

Where are you guys?

-Green-

Just left the hotel. 

He puts it away once Gold stops replying, and they all walk towards the sundial. Apparently they could just record everything using the Holocaster, so Green had set it up beforehand, only having to press the record feature on it once needed. When they approach, Silver and Gold are standing by the sundial, looking up at it and talking. He finds himself smiling at the sight. When the sundial begins to move, Green takes out the Holocaster and starts recording. 

Once the sun is shining, Gold turns to Silver. “Hey, Silver? Thanks for putting up with me all these years.” Silver raises a brow at that but there’s a faint smile on his face. 

“I mean, you’ve put up with me.” He mutters and the two seem to just stare at each other for a few seconds, lost in their own little world. 

“I had this whole speech planned out, you know. To talk about how you’ve motivated me to keep going with the gym challenge, and how you helped me realise I could do something else with my life. You put up with me through it all, and you trusted me enough to reveal who your father is, even while fearing rejection. After Crystal told us we were ‘stupid, oblivious, moronic, fools in love’ neither of use really made the move.” Silver chuckles at Gold’s imitation of Crystal, and Green wonders how she will react. It is a pretty accurate imitation, so maybe she’ll just be impressed. He feels someone tug on his shoulders and looks.

 **You look happy.** Red is smiling up at him, and all he can do is give a slight shrug. He had known those two idiots for a few years now, so seeing them happy makes him happy. He turns back to watch the two. 

“So, all I’m trying to say, really… well, I want to ask…” Gold gets down on one knee, pulling out a ring box from his pocket. Silver takes a small step back. “Will you marry me?” There’s silence, then Silver mutters something that makes Gold laugh. Moments later, he nods and helps Gold stand. Green shuts off the recording once Gold motions in their direction. 

“Hey!” Green grins and waves, walking over. Red is right beside him. “Congrats you two!” He grins at them, and they grin back, while blushing. It looks like Silver has some tears in his eyes, but they don’t point it out. 

“Thanks.” Silver seems to think about something, then turns to Gold. “We should have dinner with my father soon. I want to… attempt to open communication again, and I think one way of doing it is by announcing we’re engaged.” Gold pales for a moment, but then nods. 

“Yeah. That works. It sounds terrifying,” he chuckles a little at that, “but it’ll be fine.” 

“Would you two be down to join?” Silver turns to look at them, and Green turns to Red who only shrugs. No strong opinions there, so must be a yes.

“Not sure why you want us there, but I’ve got no objections. When?” Silver shrugs.

“Call it moral support. I also have no idea. Probably before you guys depart for Galar.” Green isn’t too sure when that will happen, but he decides not to mention that. 

“Well, I think this is a good chance to celebrate!” The professor reminds them of his presence with those words, and they find themselves agreeing. “Of course, I’ll pay.” He smiles at them and leads them to the cafe. Silver and Gold walk hand in hand, and he cannot help but smirk at them. 

“You two are gonna be stuck together from now on, aren’t ya?” They blush and attempt to deny, but he doesn’t give them a chance to do so. “It’s a good thing! Good to see you two happy than bickering, ya know.” 

The rest of the day is rather relaxed. Gold and Silver ask them about Mega Evolution and how it’s progressed. Gold had managed to get his Gallade to Mega Evolved at one point, but it only happened once. Silver hadn’t had much luck, but he suspected it was mainly because he was hesitating, and his Houndoom didn’t seem too eager to Mega Evolve. They were happy to hear that Red had managed Mega Evolution a few times now. It had become less exhausting for him, and Green wondered if the effect of such power was wearing off, or if Red and Absol were simply building up more stamina to handle it. After they discuss everything on Mega Evolution, they discuss their options. Gold and Silver want to do a little more exploring before they even think of a wedding. They want to find the perfect spot for it as well, so travelling was something they looked forward to. Of course, they would continue to help with the research paper. 

"You know, we could ask Yellow for help." Silver speaks up and everyone just stares at him for a moment. It's silent and he quickly frowns. "What?"

"Silver, that's a genius idea!! Why didn't we think of it before!?" Gold exclaims, drawing some attention to them. Before any of them can tell him to, oh, maybe not yell, the professor asks a question.

"I'm sorry, but who's Yellow?" Ah, right. While she was amazing, she kept to the sidelines, never taking credit for much. 

"Oh. She's one of our friends. She can sense a Pokemon's emotions." Green answers, his 3 friends nodding their heads. The professor looks deep in thought for a moment. 

"I heard about someone similar in Unova, but I considered it nothing more than a rumour. Perhaps we could seek the person out, as well as invite your friend, and see if they could help. It’s always good to have an extra pair of hands to help out!” They decide that once they can all use Mega Evolution, they will most likely move to Unova. Well, Green and Red would go while keeping in contact with the professor. They didn’t have many leads, other than the fact that the regional professor there might know something. Green decides to just ask Yellow straight away. 

-Green-

Hey

How do you feel about joining us

Either in Kalos or another region

We could use some help

And professor Sycamore said he heard about someone with similar powers that you have

-Yellow-

:o

Yes!!!

It sounds like fun!!!

When and where???

Also HOW DO I GET THERE?!

You guys made it look so easy T-T

-Green-

I’ll sort out the tickets and instructions so don’t worry about that.

Uhhh We’ll be most likely leaving for Unova next, so you could meet us there? We will try to coordinate it so we end up waiting for you, to make it less stressful.

-Yellow-

Yes!!

Chuchu will be happy to travel!!

And to see Pika once more!!

Send me all details once you have them and I’ll make sure to NOT get lost!

“Yellow said she would be happy to join us. I told her she can meet us in Unova, as that would be a bit easier.” He puts away the Holocaster and notifies the others. Gold and Silver still aren’t sure what they want to do quite yet. They still want to see some more of Kalos, and perhaps visit Galar before they go to Unova. Green and Red decide to take the long way back to Lumiose City, and then they will depart for Unova. The professor will work on typing out the data, as well as getting in touch with other professors, while they will try to find the mysterious person. Green wonders if perhaps he’ll find the courage to confess to Red while they’re in Unova.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will actually feature Yellow!!! I love her :D  
> Also, it will finally show off some of Unova, but the only person featured is professor Juniper. There is,,, one mention of a character but I kept that vague haha ^^;;


	9. I’m stranded on the ground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red and Green meet up with Yellow. That's it. That's the chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I didn't update last week, because I didn't have much written and I didn't want to rush out a chapter.   
> also Had a lot happen so just wasn't writing much but hey, there's an update now!!

The day of their departure arrives, and they’re sitting in the professor’s office once again. They had all managed Mega Evolution at one point or another, even if it didn't always last long. Green was the one who struggled with it the most, while Red had already managed to excel at it. Silver and Gold had messaged them to say they could Mega Evolve their Pokemon during more intense battles. Silver and Houndoom didn't do it often, and it was obvious neither liked it. When asked why, Silver shrugged, claiming that it felt wrong to use it. They have barely used it since then, but claimed they would participate in a few Mega battles, only to help with the research. Professor Sycamore did tell them that they could opt out, but Silver insisted. 

Gold and Silver decided to stay in Kalos for a while longer, still having a few more places they wanted to check out. Silver also ended up running into a man he met once in the past, a detective of some sort, so now the Johto duo was helping him out too. They knew the region a little better than him, so they offered to provide some information on it, if need be. Green and Red had only around an hour before their train departed, so they were already packed and ready to go. The professor had asked them to pay him a quick visit before they left. They had already decided that all new discoveries would be sent over straight away, and they would be able to call one another if anything of more importance happened. Yellow was excited to meet up with them, and had kept them updated on how things were going on her side of things. She would be leaving in a few days, as they first had to make their way back to Sinnoh, then catch a ferry from there to Unova. 

“I thought your friend may appreciate having her own Holocaster, and it may make it much easier for me to keep in touch with her as well.” The professor says as he hands them a box. It was good that it is small enough to still fit in their luggage. “Let her know that I would love to meet her, as her talents sound marvelous!” Green takes the box and carefully puts it in his backpack, nodding along. 

“Yeah, sounds good. She might be hesitant to accept such an expensive gift though.” Knowing Yellow, she would attempt to give it back, even if she was happy about receiving it. She still didn’t make much use of her own Pokedex either, so there were chances she would be unwilling to use it. Red nods at his words. The two didn’t know each other as well, but he did know that she was hesitant about using a Pokedex as well. They had only known each other for not even a full year, in fact. She met them during the whole ordeal with Giovanni, as she helped them out when the gym was destroyed. After that, they only took a few weeks before moving on to the Elite Four. In that time, Green hadn’t talked to her much, but Red and her got along pretty well. She said they used to just sit together, surrounded by Pokemon. She would draw the Pokemon, learn about them, all while he was simply taking care of them, training them. 

They bid their farewell to the professor after a few more minutes, and make their way to the train station. It was still early in the morning, so they would be able to board the ship from Galar pretty early on. They had some food packed with them, but if there were no delays, they would be able to get a meal in Galar in Hulbury before they set off on the ship towards Sinnoh. The meals on the ship were already prepaid, so they had nothing to worry about once on it. 

The trip to Galar is a quiet one. They both ended up falling asleep, and got woken up by an eccentric looking man a few minutes before they arrived. They took trains all the way to Hulbury, had something light to eat, then boarded the ship in the late afternoon. The trip to Sinnoh seemed much shorter, despite having taken the exact same amount of time as their last journey. During that time, they kept up to date on travel time with Yellow. Just like planned, it seemed they would still arrive in Unova a few hours before she would, meaning she wouldn’t have to worry about being in a new region all alone.

Apparently, Blue had found out what was happening, and instead of messaging them, she simply told Yellow to let them know that she was ‘absolutely offended that my best buddies didn’t ask me’. Green messaged her to let her know that when he first asked her about a trip, she said it would be too much of a hassle and that she would much rather stay home. She read the message then promptly ignored him. Classic Blue, actually. 

By the time they’re on the ship from Sinnoh to Unova, Green feels sick of travelling. It had never been a big issue for him, as he often made trips to other places, yet this has been his longest trip so far. Travel time had already been an almost 2 week affair, and they stayed in Kalos for almost a whole month. Usually, he would get whatever data he needed from a nearby region, return to his apartment, then write the research paper. The last time he did a longer journey was a while back, way before he even became a gym leader. He was still somewhat grieving the loss of his title, so he was fine with travelling. Yet when he returned, he settled, and hadn’t been able to allow himself to relax enough to enjoy a casual trip. 

**You okay?** Red signs as he sits down beside him. The moon was shining bright, and Green had no idea what time it was. All he knows is that he gave up on sleep at roughly midnight, and had been sat on one of the benches outside, watching the ocean drift by, watching the stars up above, doing anything and nothing all at once. **I woke up and you were gone.** They had shared a room, two small beds. 

“Unable to sleep.” He shrugs, not even sure why he was awake anyway. All he knew was that he felt restless and couldn’t wait to finally dock in Castelia City. The change in scenery would surely do him some good, perhaps? “I haven’t travelled this much in a long time.” He mutters and looks over at Red. He is sitting cross-legged. His jacket is the only thing he wears, and Green wonders how he isn’t cold already. Neither of them say anything for a while, just stare at one another. After a moment more, Red seems satisfied as he smiles. 

**I look forward to seeing Yellow again.** As he signs it, he looks out towards the night sky. The stars are quite visible, and Green wonders when they’ll be able to see such a sight once more.  **I haven’t seen her since I won the champion title.** Green turns to look at the stars too. She will surely act as if they hadn’t seen each other in a week, rather than what, almost 10 years? 

“She’ll be happy to see you. Her art has somehow gotten more amazing than when she first met us.” Her sketchbook and pencils were practically her lifeline by now. Wherever she went, so did the sketchbook. Speaking of which, he should probably ask her how many she brought with her. Pulling out his Holocaster, he begins messaging her. Red, upon seeing so, shifts to sit closer, asking if he can have a look. “Sure, got nothing to hide from ya anyway.” Well, maybe the messages between him and Blue, but Red doesn’t need to know that.

-Green-

Hey, how many sketchbooks did you pack?

-Yellow-

Why are you up at such an hour?

I brought just one??? Is that not enough?

And it’s almost 2am here so… 3am for you? Why are you still awake? Aren’t you docking in Castelia at 11am? Time Zones are so confusing as you travel through them huh?

-Green-

You don’t get to judge me for being awake when youre also awake :p

I asked cause i was curious

We do dock at 11, and you should be getting there at 12:30

We’ll be waiting at the dock youre gonna be arriving at

Red says hi

-Yellow-

Hi!!!

Chuchu is excited to see you too!!

I heard you only took Pika with you, and got a new pokemon from professor Sycamore!!

Ahhhh I’m so excited to see you again! I’ve got some new drawings I wanna show you!! 

-Green-

He said he looks forward to it

But he also says that you should get some sleep

I agree

Go to sleep

-Yellow-

Okay okay! Good night guys!! Go to sleep too!! Or I’ll be angry!!

Putting the Holocaster away, he smiles, glad to have messaged Yellow. Red is now leaning on his shoulder, looking back out at the sea. “Well, you read what she said. We should head off to sleep.” As he says it, he yawns. Perhaps he just needed a small distraction, which those two had provided. Feeling Red nod in agreement, he waits, and waits, and waits… “Red, that means we both gotta go to sleep. In the beds. Not here.” When the other simply shrugs, he sighs. “Come on, before I drag you to bed.” Sitting up, he almost laughs when Red jolts up. 

**I almost fell. Jerk.**

“You should have gotten up when I told you.” Sticking out his tongue is childish, but he doesn’t care. No one is looking at them anyway. Standing up, he reaches out a hand to help Red stand. He takes it, and the two make their way back to the room. Both seem to fall asleep almost instantly upon lying down. 

Arriving in Castelia City was a thing to behold. The town was  _ busy _ . Neither had expected to simply see people avoid them with such ease on such busy streets. After getting off the ship, they stayed to the side for a moment, using the Holocaster to get up a map of the city. There wasn’t much that they wanted to do without Yellow, but they did decide to grab some snacks, as they could always grab some food with her. By the time they decide to simply head to the Central Plaza and grab something from the vending machines, they have roughly less than an hour before Yellow’s ship should be arriving. As they sit on the bench, Green goes through the points of interest in Unova. While they are here to try and find the mysteriou person with power similar to Yellow’s, they can still explore the region a little. Nacrene City looks interesting, if only because of their museum. That may be the researcher in him talking, as Red doesn’t look too interested in the museum. Well, they'll just make a quick trip there then. Aspertia City apparently had an amazing lookout, where they could view an amazing scenery. Red is definitely eager, if his constant pulling on his sleeve is anything to go by. “I get it, we’ll go there at some point too!” It’s only then that Red stops tugging and simply smiles up at him, acting all innocent. “Besides, apparently that’s where the current champion lives. Perhaps he would have some information on the person we’re looking for.” They did have absolutely no information on them, but they would surely have to find clues around Unova.

The final location was Nimbasa City. Red had wanted to go there, and there seemed to be enough entertaining things there for them both to be eager to go there. Yellow would also definitely like the city. Speaking of which, Green checks the time. With only 30 minutes to go, he stands up and stretches. “Come on. I wanted to get her a sketchbook or two, and we can grab some of the Casteliacones we saw on the way.” Red nods and stands too, waiting for Green to lead the way. 

By the time they’re waiting for Yellow to exit the ship, Green is standing with at least 2 bags of drawing supplies. Perhaps he went a little overboard, but they had some really good deals. Red is holding onto two Casteliacones, one for Yellow, and it appears to hold quite well, as it doesn’t appear to be melting too much. Well, it doesn’t really matter, as in the next moment he watched Red be tackled to the ground by Yellow. In a surprising show of talent, Red doesn’t even drop the ice cream. “Oh sweet Arceus I missed you guys so much!” Yellow stands up only a moment later, helping Red up. “You’ve both grown! Well, I knew Green was tall as hell like usual, but wow Red!! You’re taller than I remember!” No one points out that it has been 10 years since the two saw each other, but neither seem to mind either. 

“Good to see you, too.” Red mutters and hands her the ice cream cone, which he happily takes. Giving him a bright grin, she turns to Green. 

“You too! Good to see you! You don’t look as tired~” She almost coos at him and he frowns. It makes her giggle. “Just kidding? You still look tired and grumpy?” She jokes and he simply rolls his eyes at her antics. 

“We got you some supplies, as I think you didn’t realise that this region had some Pokemon we don’t have in Kanto.” He mutters and raises the hand that’s holding onto the bags. Her eyes sparkle at the sight. “No need to thank us though. It’s more to give us a peace of mind.” He says, even though they both know the supplies were bought out of friendship.

They sit down nearby to eat the Casteliacones, and Green decides that region specific food is definitely nice. First the Galette’s in Kalos, and now the Casteliacones. Well, perhaps it’s not exactly region specific food, but it is a nice treat they can’t get anywhere else. It doesn’t take long for them to finish them, and they engage in some small talk. Red and Yellow seem to easily flow back into how things were between them, casually chatting as if Red hadn’t gone missing. Once they’re done, they head over to the Cafe Sonata for a meal. Yellow ends up easily distracted by all the new Pokemon she hasn't seen in person, and they have to sit her down for her to actually eat. Once they’re finished, they slowly make their way towards Nuvema town. It requires a trip using the underground subway, something new for them all. Green handles all the purchases, as Red and Yellow seem far too nervous about how busy it is underground. The subway only takes them as far as Accumula Town, and since it is late afternoon, they decide to book into a hotel first. It will allow them to drop off their luggage, and they can easily return once it gets dark, without having to worry about accommodations. 

They easily book a 3 single bed room, as it doesn’t seem to be too busy right now. The receptionist tells him that it hasn’t been too busy in the town ever, and the last time there was a commotion was around three years ago. Even then, the commotion lasted a few minutes only. It was kind of a relief to know the town hadn’t been too busy. She doesn’t elaborate on what happened, but simply tells them that it was possibly the first time people should have realised the trouble the group would cause. They simply leave their luggage in their room before deciding to head out to see professor Juniper. Apparently she would be expecting them either today or tomorrow, according to professor Sycamore. 

The walk over to Nuvema town was a quick one, taking them maybe 20 minutes. It looks to be a quaint town, and Green wonders how the previous champion of the region is doing. He was apparently from here, but not many knew what he was up to these days. The laboratory door simply has a sign that tells people to just walk in, as an assistant will help out. Yellow seems hesitant about just walking in but relents when Green just strides in. “Hello? My name is Green Oak, I was looking for professor Juniper.” He calls out when he notices that everyone in there is busy with what they’re doing. There are only a few assistants, but soon enough he spots the professor. She glances over at them then smiles before walking up. 

“Professor Aurea Juniper. Lovely to meet you. I was informed you would be arriving either today or tomorrow, so I’m glad to see you found your way over here.” She motions for them to follow her, moving over to the side room. Offering them some tea, they all sit at the table. It’s quite warm in there. “I was told you were looking for this ‘mysterious’ person, yes?” 

Green nods and goes to explain, but Yellow beats him to it. “Yes! I’m Yellow, by the way. I can sense what Pokemon feel and I have a healing power, something that only children of Viridian Forest can sometimes obtain. Professor Sycamore apparently heard a rumour that there could be someone similar to me living somewhere in Unova. I - I tried reading up on it, but couldn’t find much information, actually.” She looks a little nervous, but that usually happened when she talked about herself. Her powers weren’t common knowledge, and only a select few were aware of them. It wasn’t like she was trying to hide them, but she didn’t go around telling everyone about them either. 

“I see.” Professor Juniper smiles at them and pulls out a - Green doesn’t quite remember the name, but it’s the communication device used across Unova. After a moment, she smiles up at them. “I know someone who is very close to that person. They’re currently busy right now, but they would be happy to meet with you all tomorrow, in this lab, if that’s suitable.” So the person truly existed. 

“That works!” Yellow glances over at them to confirm, and both Green and Red nod. It wasn’t like they had anything else planned. They had no specific timeline to work with, and they could easily take their time. They don’t spend too long talking after that, deciding to rest up and be ready for the day ahead. It would surely be full of excitement. When they get back to their hotel in Accumula town, they unpack some things, and give Yellow the Holocaster from professor Sycamore. While she does react exactly as expected, she does end up giving in and accepting, messaging her thanks almost straight away. With the day ahead, they all manage to get a good night’s sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may be wondering 'is there a planned timeline for this?' the answer is no. I had plans to make Red, Green, and Yellow go around Unova a lot before meeting Touya and N, but they will literally meet them in the next chapter. 
> 
> I will also end up adding a chapter from Gold or Silvers Third Person Limited (thank you that one person who left a comment!!), soon enough, just because we're not done with Kalos!! I will be 100% adding more stuff for those boys (I say, about legal adults), as well as perhaps some more insight into Sycamore and Lysandre. 
> 
> Leave a comment to let me know if there's anything you'd like to see in future chapters! :D


	10. The future's anybody's guess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Touya and N are introduced! :)

The next day starts off pretty well. Yellow appears to be a little stressed out but that's a given, considering she never knew many people with her gifts. There was only Lance, in fact, but she didn't find out about that until a few years of knowing him. For her to find out there was yet another person with some amazing power? Her and Chuchu were practically stress pacing. "Green. Please. Drink a little faster. What if they think we're too late and leave?" She asks as she stops in front of him once again. What was it now? 3 times in the past minute? Red and him are sitting at the little table in the room, eating breakfast. Well, Red is eating cereal while he is just drinking some coffee. For some reason, he woke up feeling exhausted. 

"Yellow, they won't. We still have an hour before they'll be expecting us." Sighing out, he rubs at his temple, feeling a headache coming on. The exhaustion and stress radiating off of Yellow was not a good combination. "We will leave soon, just let us have our breakfast." He mutters before taking another sip. She had already eaten before the two of them woke up, and had apparently been pacing ever since. When she goes to speak again, Green almost wants to just leave. It's not her fault, but Sweet Arceus he's tired. 

"Yellow. It's fine." Red speaks up which effectively quietens her down. She glances over at Red, then to him, before sighing. Sitting down, she finally seems to calm down. Her constant tapping of her fingers against the table says otherwise.  **Are you worried about the meeting?** She looks over and pauses. Then she nods.  **Why?**

"I don't know." Her voice is unusually low and she glances away. "It's a little scary to meet someone like you." They wait for a moment, sensing a 'but' in her tone of voice. Biting at her lower lip, she seems to gather her thoughts after just a brief moment. "I think I also don't want to raise my hopes up too high. What if it's just a fantasy? Weren't it only Viridian Forest children that are supposed to bear the gift? And even then, only so far it only seems to happen every 10 or more years." As far as they knew, there were only two people who currently had such a gift - Lance and Yellow. It could be possible that there was another child who simply wasn't aware of the power they bore. 

**You should look in the grey area.** Red signs and both Yellow and Green look over, curious.  **You may not meet someone with amazing powers like you, but you got to go on a new adventure. Or you may find someone with powers like yours, and you'll have a new friend.** Yellow seems to think about it, but it seems the words have worked, as she no longer anxiously taps away at the table. They all sit in silence, Red finishing his cereal, and Green practically downing his coffee at this point. As he does so, he notices a worried glance from Red but simply shakes his head. It was just weariness from having travelled so much lately, there was no reason for anyone to worry, really. 

The walk from Accumula town to Nuvema town seems much longer than the day before, even if it does take them roughly the same amount of time. As they near the town, even Green feels a little nervous. Glancing at Yellow, he sees Chuchu perched on top of her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek. When he looks over at Red, he notices that his Pikachu is out and lazing on top of his head. Perhaps he could let Eevee out? She would appreciate the new scenery, at least. When she comes out, she looks a little confused. "We're in Unova." He tells her and she seems happy enough with the answer. The walk becomes a little slower as she wants to explore the area little, but they still arrive in Nuvema town with plenty of time to spare. 

"Yellow, Red, and Green! Glad to see you back here in one piece!" Professor Juniper greets them as soon as they step through the lab doors. It looks more empty than it was the day before. She seems to pick up on his line of thinking as she smiles at him. "I thought it best to have this place be as empty as possible. Besides, Touya and N have been helping around this morning so there is a little less workload." Touya and N? N? What sort of a name was that? Well, most of his group was named after colours, and the others were precious metals. He couldn't possibly judge too harshly. 

"Thank you for setting up this meeting." Yellow speaks up, almost perfectly practiced words slipping past her lips. The professor smiles at her. 

"Trust me, when they found out why you wanted to meet, they were eager to meet up." Green doesn't doubt that, and begins following the professor to the side room they were in just the night before. When they come in, there are two men sitting at the table. The first, he recognises as the previous champion of Unova - Touya. The other, much taller, is a mystery. He has long green hair, and has an easy going smile on his face. The only thing that gives away his true feelings, is the constant tapping of his fingers against a teacup. As they enter the room, Touya looks up. His gaze looks a little distrustful, up until it lands on Red. At that, it lights up with recognition. "Everyone, this is Touya and N. You two, this is Yellow, Red, and Green." Professor Juniper keeps the introductions short, and Touya quickly stands to greet them. 

"The name's Touya! I've heard of Red and Green before, but never of Yellow. It's still a pleasure to meet you all!" He's rather cheerful, and offers a handshake to them all. N stands up and, wow he's tall. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Just call me N." He smiles at them all but doesn't offer a handshake. 

"I'm Green Oak, travelling from Kalos to help professor Sycamore with his research." Green shakes Touya's hand, and simply offers a smile to N. Clearly, he isn't one for physical touch. 

**I'm Red. From Kanto. I'm travelling with Green.** The two seem to understand sign language and Red's shoulders relax. 

"N travelled a lot a while back so he learned a few languages along the way." Touya explains, without being prompted. "He's a quick learner." When Touya grins at the now sheepish looking N, Green wonders what the nature of their relationship is. 

"I'm Yellow. I come from the Viridian Forest, and I have the ability to heal Pokemon, as well as understand their feelings." Cutting straight to the chase, Yellow grins at the two men. Touya glances at N, who looks surprised. Hadn't they been told about this? Or perhaps…

"You didn't tell me about this, Touya." The taller man looks a little offended, but Touya only grins. "I…" he trails off as he glances towards Yellow. "I have the ability to understand Pokemon speech." The two stare at one another for a moment, before both Touya and Green speak up, effectively interrupting one another.

"Oh! No! You go ahead!" Touya smiles and motions over to him. 

"Perhaps we could show the abilities you two possess? A word isn't always enough evidence. We don't doubt you, but-"

"We get it. I wanted to ask for the same thing, actually." Touya interrupts then grins over at N. Those two seem close.

The best way to apparently show off their skills, is for Yellow to use her healing abilities, and for N to prove he can understand Pokemon by speaking to one of them. While Touya and Red battle, the two readily agreeing that this was the best way to find any injured pokemon (Green doubts that's the only way, but the fire in their eyes tells him that the argument would be futile), Yellow and N sit around Green's Eevee. There was too much information about Red, anything important was revealed by Yellow, and the only one that could be considered a mystery was Green. Yes, he was famous for his work and last name, but there were things even he kept hidden. The first one being…

"She says she's your Support Pokemon. Helping you with emotions and such." N glances at Green, then Yellow then back to Eevee, who appears to be very chatty this morning. "She takes pride in the work she does, and she absolutely adores you." A small smile is visible on N's lips, and Green wonders if it's because he enjoys talking with Pokemon, or because Eevee is being overly chatty. "She mentions that there is someone you feel very strongly for? Oh, for him?" N glances up towards where Touya and Red are wrapping up their battle. "But he's not aware of it." 

"O-kay that's enough from her!" Green quickly picks up Eevee who, in turn, gives him a pleading look. "A cute face isn't gonna get you off the hook! That's-! That-! Fine! Just, don't spread all my secrets." He reluctantly sets her back down, but she quickly jumps back into his arms. 

"She says she wasn't sure what else could convince you that I had these abilities." N explains, walking up closer to pat her on the head. She seems appreciative of it, and Green smiles. 

"I'm not mad at you, and I guess this is something I've told you on several occasions." Chuckling at how her face seems to light up, he looks up towards Yellow. "I think that's proof enough, don't ya think?" She nods and glances behind him. Ah, seems like Red and Touya are finally done with the battle. "How did it go?" He asks as he faces them. Both look happy, but he has his suspicions. 

"Red won! Totally wiped the floor with me!" Touya grins. It was a one on one battle, and he knew Red sent out Pikachu. It always made the opponents underestimate him, so he wonders how Touya truly felt throughout the whole battle. He sends out his Pokemon, a Tepig. "I thought I'd train this little one since it was going up against Pikachu, but I did forget it was the ex-champion's Pokemon. I should have stuck with Emboar, huh." The Tepig looks exhausted, but it's injuries appear minimal. Glancing up, he notices N looking at the Pokemon with a tense expression, then relaxing when Tepig makes a small sound at him. 

"I'll heal him up, okay?" Yellow asks and doesn't take any action until Touya nods his head. Once he does, she walks over to the Tepig, kneeling down and smiling down at it. Muttering comforting words, she reaches out and a faint light begins to glow around her hands. As always, it seems to radiate heat - not a scorching heat, but a warm comforting one, which always made him wonder if she could heal people too. They never tried it, yet he did notice that her own recovery rate was slightly accelerated to the usual one. Once the light dims, the Tepig makes a happy sound before running around her. Touya audibly gasps, and he hears a sharp intake of breath, likely from N. 

“You actually healed him! Not that we doubted you but… wow!” Touya kneels down beside her and looks at her in nothing but adoration and awe. “You’re amazing!” He glances down at her hands, which appear to be shaking a little, before focusing on the Tepig that instantly makes his way over. “I mean, yeah, you can’t understand the pokemon speech, but you can heal them! The two of you working together would be an awesome duo!” Glancing between Yellow and N, Touya seems to think about something for a moment before standing up. “Are you all going to be travelling across the region?” He first glances at Red, who just shrugs and motions over to Green. When Touya looks at him, Green smiles.

“That’s kind of the plan. We do want to ask N if he could potentially help us with something, but we did want to see the region a little.” Those words catch N’s attention, who glances over, raising a brow. “We’re in the middle of study about Mega Evolution, and with you understanding Pokemon speech, we wanted to know if you could perhaps see how they felt about Mega Evolving. We want to see whether it’s ethical to Mega Evolve. If there are any problems we find during the study, we have ideas on how to go about fixing them, even going as far as conducting more research on the Galarian phenomenon of Dynamaxing, and Gigantamaxing, which could be used to replace Mega Evolution.” Noticing the interested looks, he feels compelled to continue. “However, if that is impossible, there would be research done on limiting Mega Evolution, reducing it to a certain time limit, and making sure it was never forced upon Pokemon - something that isn’t unheard of.”

“So you’re researching Mega Evolution?” Touya asks, having already recalled Tepig. 

“Yes. Red and I have received a Pokemon each, both with the capability to Mega Evolve. Red has mastered it, but we cannot truly tell how the Pokemon feels about it, and whether it is undergoing any physical pain in order to fight alongside the trainer. There has been research done before, on a similar topic.” He omits that he wrote a paper on it too. “Pokemon appear to undergo vigorous training, one that can oftentimes become endangering, just in order to appease the trainers. There had been multiple cases of Pokemon dying from overworking themselves. While the Pokemon can opt out of doing so, they still put themselves through it. The research sparked the beginning of Professors, Gym Leaders, and the Elite Four checking over any trainers that may have at first failed the challenge. Furthermore, it is why there are more campaigns in keeping Pokemon safe. If I recall correctly, there had been a controversy here, in Unova, that was rumoured to have a group that attempted to ‘liberate’ the Pokemon.” He pauses, noticing the two Unovians tense up slightly at the mentions of it. However, Touya waves for him to continue. N seems in agreement. “While I do agree that they had a good point, I do believe their beliefs weren’t as pure as they had initially advertised. Yes, Pokemon should be taken care of, and all those who harm Pokemon should have their trainer licences revoked.” How had he forgotten this? It was apparently a huge thing. What was the organisation called? Team Plasma? Yes! The only time he truly showed interest was during his research, so he’s not surprised the information escaped his mind. 

Perhaps he could see if there were any people that were more closely involved in the incident, to see what they had thought of it? He recalls the group being stopped by… by… Touya? It seems the other already knows what conclusion he came to when he looks over. 

“The two of us were actually involved in that incident. It’s why we’re actually interested in the research, right, N?” He looks over at the green-haired man who smiles down at him. 

“Yes.” He glances over at Green, as if debating something. “I’m sure Touya is thinking the same, but I would like to ask if I could join you in your travels. The research seems interesting, and I’m sure my abilities could come in handy.” Green nods, not even hesitating. Well, they would need to make contact with professor Sycamore, then make a plan on how they could go over the research, with the additional help. Besides, was Mega Evolution a common thing here? 

It is only roughly an hour later that they come to an agreement. Touya and N will travel with them, helping them out with the research. They have some business they need to get sorted out, so there is one destination they ask to visit. Since the journey is more about battling and exploring, that is very doable. As Green is discussing the details with both professors over a call, he does take notice of how well the group seems to be getting along. Red and Touya are engaged in a conversation, with Red even using some verbal communication. N and Yellow are excitedly talking in hushed tones, and he can see they’re both simply ecstatic to have met one another. He can imagine Gold and Silver fitting right in as well. What other people would they meet along the way? It reminds him of the fact that Gold and Silver had invited him and Red to that meal, which would surely take them to Sinnoh as well. This simple trip was truly turning into yet another exciting adventure, and Green couldn’t help but look forward to it all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may be unable to post next week, as I'm still working on the next chapter, and I may not have much time as I'm currently going through the process of moving out. My move out date is on a Wednesday, literally the day I'm moving - aka busiest day,,

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapter will be uploaded next week as I have already written it. 
> 
> Let me know what you guys thought of it so far :)  
> (not like much has happened in the chapter)  
> I also don't have a beta reader because finding one is hard when you do nothing to look (plus its so awkward to ask so if there's any mistakes, feel free to point them out)


End file.
